Between My Brother And Me: Lux ex Tenebris
by Green Phantom Queen
Summary: Part of the "Between verse", Shooti Hayami was a normal boy trying to move on after the disappearance of his older brother. However, after encountering the mysterious girl Bel, he tries to follow leads involving his best friend, brother, and the Dark Signers but ultimately ends up playing the cards that end in his death. Warnings: Suicide triggers in future chapters.
1. Prologue: What We Do in the Shadows

_I would like to give a quick shout-out to Condor Ratcliff for the rewrite of this chapter. Thank you for your patience._

* * *

 _ **When one is about to die, the last thought in their head can easily be sorted in various ways.**_

 _ **The dying could be thinking about how they don't want to die: they could be begging for someone to save them or for one more moment to live hoping that their loved ones are safe, that their death isn't the end, their last regrets in regards to not confessing their love for someone...All that stuff you see on TV and film that's been regurgitated way too many times.**_

 _ **Me? My only remaining thought is how I wish my camera didn't get crushed from the fall so that my story will come to light.**_

 _ **Here I am, lying on the sidewalk, a story in my head ready to be narrated like**_ _ **Sunset Boulevard**_ _ **, all while I feel a voice asking me if I want to live, and what I want to live for.**_

 _ **But since I'm dead, I can't possibly tell it what happened. Fortunately, it doesn't need me to speak. It can look through into my memories to find the truth.**_

 _ **Well, I have nothing better to do anyway…**_

 _ **My name is Shooti, and this is how I became a Dark Acolyte.**_

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 **Between my Brother and Me:**

 **Lux ex Tenebris**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Prologue:**

 **What We Do in the Shadows**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _This story starts off like any other story should start. Picture it with me if you can._

 _It starts on a late September Saturday night, where a young boy with green hair wearing an orange jacket, and his favorite babysitter in the entire world are watching the classic sci-fi movie_ Blade Runner _, sharing a pizza topped with extra cheese, bell peppers and sausage. The boy is fascinated with the movie playing (even if he has seen it three times already)...a film noir that takes place in the distant future with perpetual rain, an air of gloominess, eye symbolism, an origami unicorn and the titular character facing off with someone that, in many ways, is a dark reflection of himself._

 _What more can this boy ask for?_

 _As the opening credits play out, the boy briefly takes his eyes off the television to look at his babysitter hard at work on her laptop. Her eyes, covered by a pair of nerd glasses, read through line after line of text of a news article she is writing. Her slice of pizza is untouched, her coffee is cold, and she shows no signs of stopping until her work is complete._

 _The babysitter is Carly Nagisa and it is through her that this boy makes his first mistake._

* * *

"Whatcha writing about, Carly?" Shooti asks.

Carly stops typing and turns to Shooti. "It's about that team of Enforcers that recently appeared in Satellite. Rumor has it that they handcuff themselves to their opponents with a long chain and then duel. Loser gets beaten up by the winner."

"What are these guys trying to accomplish?"

Carly takes a bite of pizza before continuing. "From what I heard they want to unite all of Satellite and make sure it's run peacefully. You see, Satellite is comprised of thirteen zones and all of them are pretty much divided due to those Duel Gangs, the underground crime and more. If there was someone to 'enforce' order there, then there wouldn't be so much chaos, right?"

Shooti nods as he hands Carly a napkin. "What will happen if those Enforces succeed?" he asks.

"There will probably be less violence, and relationships between Satellite and Domino would improve. And Kaibaman would be out of a job."

Shooti jumps. He is a huge fan of the superhero, along with being a fan of other tokusatsu shows (like _Kamen Rider_ ), evidenced by the stack of DVDs underneath the television of _Kamen Rider_ and _Super Sentai_ movies he has devoured on rainy days, sleepovers and for when he decided to procrastinate on his homework. "Do you think he's actually Seto Kaiba in disguise?"

"I'd say he is," Carly answers. "It should be pretty obvious and everything, that a dragon-helmed vigilante based off of the Blue Eyes White Dragon could only be Seto Kaiba." She looks back at her article. "And if people want to see a CEO as some kind of masked hero, then I fully believe in him."

"Ah," Shooti says. "So, be honest. Do you see him like a Showa Rider interested in Duel Monsters, or a Heisei Rider who _uses_ Duel Monsters?"

Carly smirks. "Judging by how I know that Seto Kaiba's into the old-school Kamen Riders, I'd go with the former."

With that, Shooti returns to his movie, thinking about duelists who fight while handcuffed and all the stories he has heard about Satellite.

* * *

 _Satellite, otherwise known as "Domino Below" to its residents, is a section of the city for those who have 'fallen' or for those who can no longer function "up above" as many residents of Satellite call Neo-Domino. They say one could spend their entire life in Satellite and only see a quarter of it due to the strange entities lurking in the darkness._

 _That is where_ Chasing Shadows _comes into play._

 _Chasing Shadows is a website, an online guide to of Domino Below. While it just started as a simple news website when it first started off, word of mouth caused it to become popular, and the creator of said website (whoever they are), eventually constructed a forum where people can discuss the strange things they have seen, and even post video and photographic evidence._

 _Carly is one of_ Chasing Shadows' _top reporters, and her current assignment is about the group of duelists calling themselves Team Satisfaction. She already has enough information for an article: all she needs now are pictures of them in action and perhaps an interview or three to make it perfect. The most recent piece of gossip is an incident with rival team, Magician's Four as to who will be the one to unite all of Satellite and bring 'satisfaction' to those who must live in fear every single day of their lives...whatever that means._

 _And this is where the boy makes his second mistake._

* * *

" _And be yourself is all that you can do…_

 _To be yourself is all that you can do…"_

As _Blade Runner_ begins explaining its backstory, Shooti presses the mute on the remote as Carly picks up her phone, placing it near her ear.

Hello? Hello hello," she begins. "Yeah, I almost have the article done. Just need a picture for...wait, are you serious. Wait...and he…" She stands up. "By yatagarasu...are you _serious_?"

Shooti tskes another bite out of his pizza as Carly whips out a notebook and pen, the cellphone still near her ear as she writes down everything described to her.

"Okay, okay, I'll be right there...yeah, I'm bringing him." Shooti nearly drops his pizza in alarm as Carly winks at him. "Thanks, Akari! Say hi to Yuma for me!"

Carly hangs up, slips cellphone, notebook and pen into her go-bag and slings it over her shoulder. She finishes her cold coffee as Shooti tries to figure out what is going on and where Carly is taking him.

"Don't just sit there, Shooti," says Carly, pulling out the keys to her car. "Come on! This is gonna be so exciting!"

"What's exciting?" asks Shooti. He has been taken to many places in Domino City for Carly's job, mostly to cover street duels or investigating areas where supernatural activity has occurred. His mother allows Carly to take Shooti around, so long as he is sent home before ten and isn't put into harm's way.

"Tell me something," says Carly with a cat-like smile. "Who do you think would win in a good old fashioned brawl? Team Satisfaction or Kaibaman?"

And then Shooti understands.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _At what point in time did legend and truth come into existence?_

 _The legend of Kaibaman began a few months ago: a man wearing a silver coat and dragon-shaped helmet with long red hair stopped a midnight mugging, while proclaiming himself to be an Ally of Justice. At first, the muggers thought he was some delusional Seto Kaiba fanboy ..._

 _The beating proved them wrong._

 _Then, the photos and half-minute video clips began to appear, each of them highlighting a different ability of this strange person. This superhero could fly with a pair of dragon wings on his back, summon an arsenal of weapons (strangely, he never used firearms; daggers, swords, spears and more traditional weapons befitting his knightly appearance, even a cannon or two, but he never summoned guns) out of nowhere and radiated a light so strong that it, somehow, manifested a calming influence to whoever felt it. The more he appeared, the more reports that rolled in._

 _They talked about how he was seen in Domino Below as a savior. There were stories of him destroying invasion of Giant Rats, ending a Witty Phantom's money laundering scheme, to (somehow) fulfilling the tasks set out by a tribe of Amazoness and even the hand of their queen. It soon became apparent that this superhero was nothing anyone had ever heard of before._

 _But perhaps his biggest claim to fame was exposing a human trafficking ring on the outskirts of what used to be old Domino City's shopping district. Eyewitness accounts consistently talked about a savior that appeared out of nowhere._

 _He disguised himself as a Skull Knight to infiltrate the ring and find its leader, a Lady of Wight. No one knew he was there until BOOM! His cannons fired upon those fiends and zombies, burning them away with flashes of heavenly light. The path cleared, he freed their prisoners with the assistance of an anonymous group: the Crimson Dragon Signers, so called for their insignias that glowed in combat. No one has figured out their identities yet, and Kaibaman isn't usually one for small talk._

 _The Lady of Wight, enraged and vengeful, battled Kaibaman in the wreckage. With wave after wave of assaults she cornered him, and then unleashed a Dark Armed Dragon to finish him off..._

 _And then, he turned the tables, summoning the legendary three Blue Eyes White Dragons, one to vanquish his foe's champion, then the other two to destroy the building and the Lady of Wight both. Survivors spoke of this event like something out of a fairy tale,_

 _Soon after, Security arrived and arrested everyone still alive and part of the ring; Carly, who was just an intern at the time and in disguise two hours before Kaibaman saved the day, snapped what became the most iconic photo of the superhero - the one that was the basis for his Duel Monsters card, later used by none other than Seto Kaiba himself._

 _(And when he was interviewed the next day in regards to the human trafficking incident, his answer neither accepted nor rejected the possibility that he truly was Kaibaman)._

 _The proud warrior standing tall, a card in his black-gloved hand witand a smirk on his face Nothing else needed to be said after that. Domino Below had its own superhero now, and that was plenty._

 _So now, to think that The Enforcers are wishing to fight against this legend makes the boy wonder why. For attention? Because they were jealous? Or is there something else?_

 _The boy continues to wonder while Carly, following the directions from her GPS, drives them to Satisfaction Town. The note she wrote earlier puts it in the heart of the Maiden District, but even after reading it a couple of times, the boy doesn't understand what's going on._

* * *

"It's not a town," Shooti observes, looking at a map on his cellphone. "It's a bar. And _Kaibaman's_ there? How come?

"Traditionally, one can eavesdrop on juicy gossip in places like that," Carly answers. "Although they also have some cheap drinks too.

"Oh…" Shooti says, slightly embarrassed at how he didn't figure that out immediately.

Two minutes later, Carly parks across the street from Satisfaction Town. Normally, the street is filled with cars and people making their way for a nice meal, a round of drinks or just to relax after a hard day's work. Now? There are no cars nor any people at the bar. In fact, there is only a 'Closed' sign on the door, causing Shooti to sense that something is wrong.

Carly quickly grabs her bag and they run towards the window, with Carly telling Shooti to look away if she says to. Shooti nods his head as they peer through the window.

It looks like a tornado has hit with broken glass and alcohol strewn all over inside. There are tables and chairs thrown aside and, from the sound of it, a fight going on. Carly opens the door a little, and gets a better look at the fight

"Stay behind me," Carly whispers to Shooti. "And on my signal, be ready to run and stay in the car until further notice. You ready?"

Shooti nods his head as they enter. On nights like this, there should be music, the sounds of people talking and laughing while they have their drinks, and someone mixing drinks. Now, it is silent enough to hear the crunch of glass whenever either Carly or Shooti take a step. In fact, when they get close enough, they are met with the sound of someone laughing.

"Dance with me!" says a loud, very frantic, maniacal voice. "Dance the Dance of Death!"

Carly pulls Shooti behind an upturned table, pulling out her camera and then handing Shooti a voice recorder. Slowly, carefully, they peek out to look at the scene.

There are two men amongst the mess of glass. One is unmistakably Kaibaman with his silver coat, white dragon helm and long head of red hair. The other is wearing a brown vest and jeans, and has short cyan hair and a strange yellow mark along the right side of his face.

"Team Satisfaction," Carly whispers to Shooti, tracing a finger on her face where Kiryu's mark would be. Shooti's grey eyes widen as he continues to watch the mayhem.

The men's arms are connected by a long cord as they trade blows across the bar, glass and wood shattering as collateral damage. The sickening sound of glass breaking and bodies slamming against the floor and wall causes Shooti to wince.

"Why are they fighting?" Shooti asks. Carly taps her lips with a finger without turning to look at him, and then points at the voice recorder. The boy blinks before he sees the voice recorder in his hand and hastily turns it on. He has been to other duels and fights for Carly's job, but none of them have ever been so violent...barring attacks from Duel Monsters, of course.

Which makes him wonder…where is Security to stop the fight?

Security is the organization that keeps the peace between Neo-Domino and Domino Below, a patrol group of duelists for the various Duel Gangs wanting to cause trouble for the sake of it. They have had encounters with both Team Satisfaction and Kaibaman before, but they all begrudgingly have decided to not interfere with each other's business (it helps that Team Satisfaction actually have permits to open their business and Kaibaman's abilities have made it easier to tackle some of the more dangerous threats lurking in Domino Below).

Still hiding, Shooti can see Kaibaman breathing hard, then taking a deep breath. He picks up a suitable broken wine bottle bottle and points it at the (barely exhausted) Team Satisfaction member.

"Kiryu," Kaibaman begins, attempting to slice through one of Kiryu's arms with his improvised weapon. "this has gone on long enough. What do you know about the deaths of Magician's Four?"

"Good question!" Kiryu answers, wiping blood off the corner of his smile, as if he is enjoying the brawl. "What the hell are you gonna do about it if I tell you?"

"Your friends talked and-" Kaibaman moves slightly to dodge a beer bottle thrown at his head.

"My friends…" Kiryu hisses. "That's impossible! How could they be so desperate to tell a goody-two shoes like _you_ about our satisfaction?"

"Because they're sane and worried about you." Kaibaman lowers his bottle and sighs. "They know, Kiryu. Tell me what happened. I can help y-"

In the blink of an eye, Kiryu covers the distance between them and slugs Kaibaman in the jaw. Then, before he can finish staggering back, Kiryu grabs him from behind and wraps part of the cord around his neck - and tightens. The dragon-helmed warrior gasps for air as Kiryu tightens his grip.

"Fine!," Kiryu hisses. "You wanna know what I saw? I'll tell you.

"I saw shadows! They took those bastards and killed 'em," Kiryu continues, eyes darting around. "Five of them, agents of Death, all of 'em. And the smallest one looks at me, still hungry.

"They chased me, and only I can see them. I tried telling my crew about this, but they won't believe me! I'm too stressed, they said. From seeing Magician's Four dead.

"Dead! Not kicked around, like I shoulda done. Like they deserved! Like you, 'Savior'." Kiryu pulled the cord tighter as he spat out that word. "What was _your_ plan, anyway? Just walk in here, step up to me, and 'save' me? No, no, and NO! You're gonna die for me, take my place with them. Some pretty-boy 'Savior', yeah - they'll take you instead. Just smilin' and winkin' while we! While Team Satisfaction fights to survive!

"Hey! Leave him alone! This instant!"

Kiryu snarls, turning to see Shooti standing up aside the table. Too late, the boy realizes that he should have stayed hidden...

But, a hand grips his shoulder. And somehow, it feels reassuring to him.

"You're right," a calm voice says. "We would take Kaibaman instead of you. He's been more effective at sweeping up quibbles that Team Satisfaction couldn't quell."

It wasn't Carly's voice, Shooti realizes..

 _If standing up for Kaibaman isn't the boy's third mistake, then what he does after that will._

His spine cold with horror, Shooti slowly turns his head. Standing there: a woman in a hooded black cloak with red trim. She smiles, barely a thin line underneath that hood of hers, but that simple gesture sends chills down Shooti's spine and makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up..

"Don't worry," she says. It isn't a command, but Shooti understands that it is. "We're not after you, not tonight. Are we, ladies?"

Kiryu's grip loosens on the cord, just enough for Kaibaman to slip his hand under the cord and, with a burst of light from his palm, shatter it. The force of the blast knocks him and Kiryu back as the woman in her red-trimmed cloak watches in amusement.

"Go back to the table, boy," the woman advises Shooti. "This could get messy."

The boy does as he's told and hides behind the table next to Carly. the voice recorder still in his hand, still recording. But it does not record both his and Carly's confused horror and awe at the situation.

Underneath the cloak, the woman is wearing high-heeled shoes. Shooti can hear them as she walks, _clack clack clack_ , over the glass-strewn floor. It's not the sound of fear or humbleness, he thinks - and, is she _amused_ at the prospect of a fight?

Just from her posture alone, she displays pride and a bit of amusement at the scene. Shooti is unable to say anything else as the cloaked figure chuckles.

It's become an automatic movement for him, having accompanying Carly so many times, but this time it's a subconscious one. Shooti doesn't notice his free hand slipping into his jacket pocket, emerging with his teal digicam. It's only when it's in front of his eye that he becomes aware he's even holding it, finger on the shutter. He takes a picture of the woman - _ch'csh_ \- not out of fear or courage, but something else.

Then, four other cloaked figures emerge from the shadows, from space they could not possibly have hidden in. They have on the same cloaks as the 'red' woman, with different trims: blue, green, orange, and a different yellow from Kiryu's mark. Shooti's finger twitches, and his digicam responds: _ch'csh, ch'csh, ch'csh, ch'csh_.

"Shooti? What are you doing?" Carly whispers.

"It's for _Chasing Shadows_ ," Shooti whispers back, not taking his eyes off the scene. "Maybe someone can figure out who these guys are."

"Those are the Dark Signers, emissaries to the Dark King of the Afterlife. No one who has gone searching for them has come out alive." Carly's hand shakes a little as she whispers.

The gravity of the situation finally breaks through to Shooti. The Carly he knows fears only taxes and dark chocolate, but now he sees that she's terrified. He can see her fingers from the corner of his eye, and they remind him of… Deckard's? Towards the end, hanging onto the edge of a roof, at Roy Batty's mercy.

But Roy pulled Deckard up. Saved him. Made sure _he_ knew Roy Batty existed, once upon a time.

It was raining in the movie, Shooti remembers. Unlike now. There is no rain inside the bar, no Roy Batty to lift him up, and no origami unicorn to imply anything otherwise. Shooti looks in horror as Carly grips onto him tightly. Never in his life has he felt terror like this before, and a part of him wonders if this is what Deckard feels near the end of his film as Roy Batty chases the detective in the rain, this idea of constantly living in fear. At least in Deckard's place, he ends up alive (Or does he? That unicorn muddles up everything in the end).

And then, Shooti becomes aware of quiet, labored breathing. It's Kaibaman, still on the floor, alone and powerless to be either Roy or Deckard where Kiryu is involved. The hooded figures - women, it seems - have surrounded him. He tries to fight back, but his efforts are stopped. By a wall, a cylinder, preventing him from escaping.

"Stay away from me!" Kiryu screams, struggling to stand up. "You...you freaks killed them!"

" _Yes,_ we 'killed' them," the 'green' woman observes. "Their souls reeked of so _much_ sin, and we were getting... hungry."

"And the fight was so much fun!" says the 'yellow' woman with a laugh. "They thought they could hide from us, but nope! Got them right where we wanted and squished them like the insignificant insects they truly were."

"You should be thanking us," says the 'blue' woman. "We saved you from a long period of torture, and death, Security. And now, we have for you and the rest of Team Satisfaction a...request: an offer that will bring you even _more_ satisfaction."

"Like what?" Kiryu spits out He has noticed Kaibaman slowly getting up. And perhaps he has decided to accept some help.. "They all think I'm crazy, so what the hell could you possibly offer me?!"

The 'orange' woman, the smallest of the five, speaks, "Because, Kiryu Kyosuke...you are already dead."

Shooti gasps, and now he feels his heart pounding. Carly nearly drops her camera in shock. Kiryu stops moving. His fear visibly yields to disbelief, then...humor?

He laugh convincingly, and even he almost believes it. "You girls are off your rockers! How in the hell can I be dead? I'm here, talking to you and not in some coffin ready to be buried, am I?" He turns to Kaibaman. "Hey, dragon boy! Prove them right! Tell them that Kiryu Kyosuke is alive and kicking!"

Kaibaman rises to his feet. Five cloaked heads turn to look at him, but it's hard to tell where he's looking. He never let go of the wine bottle from earlier, but he does now. It falls, and lands without breaking further.

"No," he says, his voice raspy. He has a hand on his stomach when he says this. "Kiryu...when these five were absorbing the sins within Magician's Four, one of them started blindly firing a gun. You were struck straight in the heart, dead immediately. These women revived you three hours later, but now your life force is connected to theirs. If you don't return to them, your body will start to stiffen from rigor mortis and your death will catch up with you.

"Kiryu, you have to go with these Dark Signers right now."

"I...no. NO!," Kiryu panics. "This isn't really happening! I'm alive, you see?"

"Then take a deep breath and prove me wrong." There was sadness in Kaibaman's voice now. "Haven't you noticed that you have no pulse? That you don't need oxygen? That you could run so far without feeling winded? And that you don't feel exhausted even after our fight?"

Kiryu hesitates. He quickly checks his pulse, eyes watching the fingers that do it.

"No…" he whispers, furiously shaking his head. "I can't accept this. I _won't_ accept this! How...Kaibaman! How did you do this?! I'm not dead! There's no possible way...this is nothing more than some nightmare!"

"This is reality, Kiryu," Kaibaman states calmly, turning his back to the screaming undead man. "Do what you need to do."

The women nod their heads as they raise a hand. Shooti watches; from the corner of his eye, he can see Carly has gently set her camera down, most likely before she drops it. Meanwhile, these Dark Signers summon a portal of shadows underneath Kiryu's prone body. Hundreds of translucent hands grab his limbs and clothes, dragging him down to who knows where.

Kiryu makes a valiant, but brief, effort at striking back. He tries to curse, but a hand clamps onto his mouth as he is pulled into what seems like the depths of Hell itself, a sickening _SCHLUP_ could be heard. As the portal closes on itself, a gust of wind blows throughout the bar and knocks the hood off the 'orange' woman. Shooti lifts his head and is momentarily shocked when he sees her face.

The girl is ordinary, about Shooti's age, with ordinary blond hair and uncommon obsidian sclera with a small mark under her left eye. She doesn't seem to notice his gaze as she places her hood back on.

Then, suddenly, the bar's doors bursts open and lights flood in through the windows. Security has arrived, personnel quickly barging into the bar - and not an hour to soon, Shooti notes. He looks back to where the Dark Signers were standing...

Only to find that the only one left is an exhausted Kaibaman standing behind the bar, pouring himself some ginger ale and grenadine. He even finds a cherry from somewhere to put on top, and does just that with a small flourish. The hero takes just enough time to look at Security before raising his glass in the air.

"...Shirley Temple, anyone?" he asks.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Security interviews Kaibaman, Carly and the boy for the next half-hour as an investigation undergoes in Satisfaction Town. The rest of Team Satisfaction, Yusei Fudo, Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan, arrive during that time. None of them are pleased to find out that their leader has been abducted, so to speak.

Naturally, the three witnesses (Kaibaman, Carly and Shooti) being interviewed are reluctant to talk about Kiryu's current vital status, but when asked who abducted him, they all state they have no clue.

 _Or do they?_

 _Based on how the women interacted with Kaibaman, the two are in league with one another - that much even the boy can tell. But that makes no sense at all...why would someone like Kaibaman, a beacon of light and justice, work with those associated with death and darkness?_

 _The boy intends to find out, but he doesn't even take a step before Kaibaman turns to him._

"Whatever it is that you wish to speak to me about, hold onto it," Kaibaman says. "I appreciate you standing up on my behalf, but after this I want you to return to your normal life rather than risk it all trying to uncover the truth."

Shooti blinks but stands his ground. "What do you mean? I don't…"

"I can see it in your eyes," Kaibaman explains, sounding exhausted. "You wish to delve into the truth no matter what it costs. I can't afford to get someone like you involved with these affairs."

"'Someone like'..." Shooti snarls in outrage and balls his hands into fists. "What would _you_ know about me?" He then looks to the side, seeing the remaining members of Team Satisfaction being interviewed by Security before lowering his voice. "And what do _you_ know about those Dark Signers? Are you in league with them?"

"The more answers you dig up, the uglier it will get," Kaibaman answers camly, raising his left hand over the left side of his face. "It's better that you're in the dark about this. Trust me."

* * *

 _The boy dislikes cryptic talk and how authority figures tell him what not to do. But he can't make any retort to that "Trust me" line at all as Carly prepares to take him home, glad that she has not lost anything from her camera or voice recorder._

 _As Shooti enters the car, he sees Kaibaman talk to Yusei (the one with black hair and yellow streaks which reminds the boy of a large crab). Yusei looks as if he has been punched in the gut._

 _The trip back to the boy's apartment is quiet except for the radio news of what transpired in Satisfaction Town. The boy looks through his photos of the Dark Signers and recalls the girl in the cloak with orange trim, wondering why someone like her is even part of this strange cult._

 _Carly drops the boy off at his apartment and spends the rest of the evening rewriting her report. The boy tries to get back into_ Blade Runner _, only to pause halfway into the film and change it out for an episode of "Ergo Proxy" as he connects the dots between everything he has seen._

 _Two hours later, his mother arrives home from her job as a nurse at the hospital, pays Carly and then shoos the boy into bed. The boy complies, too tired to argue after everything he has seen._

 _After getting into his pajamas and slipping into bed, the boy picks up his teal digicam and looks at the photographs he has taken, particularly the one with the 'orange' girl. He wishes that he had the chance to photograph the her without the hood covering her face, but then decides against it, knowing that he would probably bring more trouble to himself if Carly's words are true._

 _And, after all, what are the chances of him seeing her again?_

 _He closes his eyes and eventually falls asleep, dreaming about women in black cloaks who arrive to those about to die, taking them deep into an abyss where no one can see them again._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _Sunday passes without incident._

 _Carly finished her report and she and Shooti spent the afternoon together at Domino Park, sharing a crepe. Neither of them talk about what they had seen at Satisfaction Town, for fear of those Dark Signers hearing them, but instead observe people involved in Street Duels, taking photographs of children proudly playing Spell and Trap cards and commanding their monsters to attack directly. All in all, it was a nice break from the chaos of the night before._

 _But it is on Monday morning, October 1st, at Domino City International School, when everything changes._

 _The boy is at his desk, during homeroom, studying for a third period math test when his close friend, Jun, a boy who can be compared to a monkey by energy alone, sits at the desk behind the boy and smiles._

"How was your weekend?" Jun asks with a grin. Shooti sighs as he pretends to be more focused on math then answering questions.

"Quiet," Shooti mumbles. Jun still smiles.

" _Really_?" he persists. "You sure you didn't go out on a crazy adventure with Carly?"

"I said my weekend was quiet," Shooti repeats as he sees their homeroom teacher, a woman in a dark grey dress accessorized by a pink cravat, magenta leggings ending in grey dress shoes and her brown hair tied into buns with long tails at the end all held back by a pink fan-like clip, approach the desk.

"Class," says Tsutsuji in a calm tone that makes every student turn their attention to her. "We have a new student coming today. So please, enter."

The student enters, wearing the female uniform of an orange blazer, white blouse and green skirt. Shooti gasps when he sees the girl's face.

It is the same as the one from Saturday night.

The only differences about the girl that evening and the one standing in front of him now are the red square wire-framed glasses magnifying her vibrant green eyes. Shooti blinks, hoping he is not seeing things, but the girl is standing near his teacher with a portfolio in hand and is in the _very same room_ he is in.

"Nice to meet you," the girl states sweetly. "My name is Bel Amsel. I used to live in California before coming here so, uh, I hope we can get along!"

 _The boy feels everything slow down as questions race through his head. Does the girl know about him? Are those Dark Signers observing him for watching them send Kiryu to the afterlife?_

 _Are they off to_ kill _him?_

 _The boy vaguely recalls what his teacher says next, but remembers that Bel walks past him and, with the faintest whisper, says one thing,_

" _Did you take a good picture of me back there?"_

 _The boy looks up at her in horror and slowly shakes his head before Bel smiles, nods her head and walks to her desk all while the boy places his head in his hands and tries his best to pretend that the girl did not speak to him and to follow the advice Kaibaman gave him in regards to ignoring the incident at Satisfaction Town._

 _Unfortunately, the boy will find it difficult to do so and this will lead to him to make his fourth mistake._


	2. Stranger Things

_**Here's how a romance usually plays out:**_

 _ **Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with said girl, boy and girl face adversities from parents/society/whatever, boy and girl become a couple and then boy and girl live happily ever after.**_

 _ **Oh, if only that was true for me.**_

 _ **When the boy meets the girl, the girl is (mostly) oblivious to the boy's infatuation with her or she is in love with someone else (someone that is cooler, or richer, or stronger than our protagonist) and won't notice the boy's affections for her so that the plot doesn't end in five minutes. If this story goes on and the romance drags on for far too long, then it can either be entertaining or just plain annoying. That's not even mentioning what is commonly known as "the unspoken thing".**_

 _ **The girl I met knew that I watched her, knew that I took her photograph and knew that I was thinking about her.**_

 _ **Most boys in my situation would be happy to know that they are being thought of and hope this would lead to something extraordinary.**_

 _ **Oh yes, I can admit that seeing Bel at school was extraordinary to me…**_

 _ **What happened after that would be considered "foolish".**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **1st Shot**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Stranger Things**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _After the initial shock of seeing Bel wears off, the boy attempts to focus on studying for his math test rather than how many girls are asking about Bel's life in America. Even if the reporter in him has so many questions on his mind (in regards to what happened to Kiryu, how she became a Dark Signer, who were the other women with her and more), he still keeps his eyes on the page in regards to the order of operations and figures out his sentence to remember PEMDAS._

"Please explain more about the darkness and signers…" Shooti mutters, oblivious to someone approaching him from behind.

"Of course," someone answers back. "All you had to do was ask."

Shooti looks up from his textbook and nearly jumps out of his seat when he sees Bel sitting in front of him, smiling all the while. He sets his book down as Bel giggles.

"Nice to meet you," she says. "You're Shooti Hayami, correct?"

Shooti manages to nod his head all while Bel continues to speak.

"Tell me more about yourself," she says. "Do you like books?"

"Uh, yeah, I like books. I'm currently reading _A_ _Wrinkle in Time_ and my favorite book is _The Invention of Hugo Cabret_." Shooti brings his arms out in front of him, a tic that states how excited he is about something. "The combination of story and black and white drawings pulls you in like the scene of your favorite movie. I read the book twenty times and found that I wanted to really explore the power behind a camera lens...to see what magic one could make."

"I see…" Bel smiles. "I'm currently reading _Moon Over Manifest_ , but my favorite book is _The Egypt Game_ by Zilpha Keatley Snyder."

Shooti laughs. He doesn't mean to be rude, but the name appears out of nowhere for him. "What type of a name is that for an author, or anyone, to have?" he asks. "How old is he?"

Bel's eyes darken slightly. "She died at age 87, October 7, 2014. And that _is_ her real name."

Shooti stops laughing and his cheeks turn red in embarrassment. "...Oh."

 _Yep, mistake number four: angering the girl for making fun at the name of her favorite author._

Bel digs out the book from her bag and shows it to Shooti, the cover depicting the silhouettes of children in Ancient Egyptian garb while a brick apartment, street sign and parking meter are prominently displayed.

"I've always been a fan of ancient history," Bel explains. "The kids in the book are like me, pretending that they have a secret place they call their own and not letting anyone take away their fantasy even if danger is all around. I've read it twenty-five times."

Shooti takes the book into his hand and leafs through it, glimpsing at black and white pictures of children in their own world of Ancient Egypt. "I see."

"It even got a sequel thirty years later, where the characters pretend they're gypsies. Zilpha Keatley Snyder was _amazing_ at writing stories like this, don't you think?"

"Huh."

Bel places her hand over Shooti's own, smiling at him with a look in her eyes that is both dreamy and mysterious. Shooti looks in confusion at the touch; it is cold as ice.

"You can borrow it if you want," she says. "Just give it to me after you're done and tell me what you think."

Shooti sets the book in his lap as he tries to stop his heart from pounding and attempts to ask his next question.

"D...do you…" he stammers. "Do you...you want to go...I...I mean…"

Before Shooti can finish the question, the girl does something absolutely unexpected.

She smiles, leans forward and whispers something into the boy's ear.

"Let's go chase shadows at lunch. I'll be waiting."

 _The girl walks back to her seat as the boy looks in confusion. Aside from his babysitter and mother, the boy has never felt signs of affection or like towards another female. He surely can't be falling in love with her so soon, right?_

 _But before the answer can enter his head, the boy recalls what Carly said two nights ago, and what Bel asked about taking a photo of her. The fact that the boy is developing feelings for a_ _ **Dark Signer**_ _(beings that can make a member of Team Satisfaction scream in fear) frightens him, but the fact that Bel is interacting with him is a good sign...at least, that's what the boy hopes for._

 _Forgetting his math book, the boy opens_ The Egypt Game _and stares at the writing in front of him._

" _Domino Haikyo 25."_

 _Haikyo is the term for urban exploration, something that the boy is familiar with (he won't explain how to just anybody though) but the number is what makes him nervous. Most people would scoff at how a_ _ **number**_ _can be so threatening, but the boy knows how personal that number is, and makes him question whether Bel knows its significance or not._

 _If the boy knows any better, he will read the book and hand it to that girl as soon as he can and not ask questions if "Domino Haikyo 25" means what he thinks it means._

 _But he doesn't, and that leads to his fifth mistake._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _Time flies so fast that the boy doesn't even recall whether or not he did a good job on his math test. He finishes the test with twenty minutes to spare and spends that time reading through the first few chapters of_ The Egypt Game _as he begins to see the budding friendship between Melanie and April, how they find the Nefertiti bust, and how they slowly begin to create the land of Ancient Egypt in someone's backyard._

 _After history (which, coincidentally, is all about Ancient Egypt), it is time for lunch. The boy is glad that he brought a bento from home and makes his way to the canteen, hoping to find a decent spot so he can take photos after he's done eating._

 _Instead, he finds two specific people waiting for him._

* * *

"Shooti, over here!"

Shooti looks over the heads of multiple students seating themselves down for lunch to see Jun standing on top of a table and waving his arms to get the boy's attention (and getting the attention of other students who look at Jun as if he is possessed). Shooti sighs as he makes his way to where his friend is standing and only stops when he sees who is also seated there.

It is Bel.

"So," says Jun, hopping down from the table as Shooti stands still. Jun just wraps an arm around his friend's shoulder, his mouth stretched into another monkey-like grin. "Why didn't you go and tell me that you got yourself a girlfriend?"

"I...I mean, we…we aren't..." Shooti stutters as he notices Bel on a laptop decorated with a hummingbird decal colored green and orange. This causes him to blush; orange and green are his favorite colors.

Bel looks up from her work and beams at Shooti. It is then that he notices something odd about her; she has no lunch on her at all.

And, as far as Shooti can recall, Jun hasn't brought a lunch on him since the school year began. He knows how Jun lives alone with his father (who makes a living as a policeman), and that Jun consumes a boatload of calories due to his metabolism and love of running, but it is odd that Jun hasn't been even ordered a canteen lunch (which is usually cooked with help from the sisters Millefeui and Kanata, whose mother own the Café in Wonderland where many students hang out) for the past few weeks or so.

And, even stranger, Jun had turned down having dinner with Shooti and his mother many times even though they treat the blonde boy as if he is part of the family. In fact, if Shooti doesn't know better, he can tell that Jun looks a bit pallid than usual.

But those thoughts leave his mind as Jun drags him toward the table to eat.

"So," says Bel, watching Jun seat Shooti down. "How far have you gotten into the book?"

"Uh, I just read the first three chapters," Shooti answers, unpacking his lunch, and muttering "Itadakimasu" under his breath before he digs into some home-cooked chicken teriyaki.

Bel says nothing else as she brings her eyes back to her laptop, the screen on an article in regards to the hobby of haikyo. She briefly looks at the article before speaking.

"So Shooti," she begins, eyeing Shooti as he takes a bite out of some carrot pickles. "Jun tells me that you like photography, right?"

" _Like" photography?_ _The boy_ _loves_ _photography._

 _It's been a tradition that the men of the Hayami family, as far as the boy can recall, are into pictures and photographs. The boy is no exception as the most precious item he has on hand is a teal digital camera his babysitter bought for him as a birthday gift last year, and he's been using it to take photos whenever he can venture out to some of the more mysterious places in Domino._

 _His dream is that he will become a reporter just like Carly, and that the two team up to uncover the secrets of Domino Below to share on_ Chasing Shadows _, or perhaps go through some urban exploration and see what type of abandoned areas they can find._

Jun laughs and pats Bel on the back. "What kind of question is that? Shooti would rather _die_ than let his precious photographs be destroyed, am I right?"

 _The boy should have seen this as a warning, but he ignores it...which will lead to his sixth mistake after he asks about Domino Haikyo._

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm _that_ crazy into photography," Shooti begins, ignoring his friend's comment. "Why do you ask?"

"It's because of your name," Bel answers. "Are you related to that famous photographer, Shuta Hayami?"

 _That name makes the boy become silent. He hasn't been on good terms with his older brother ever since Shuta received a most unusual camera that grants him the ability to make predictions of the future whenever he takes a picture with it. Where he found it, the older brother will not answer, but the boy can sense how the older brother has drastically changed thanks to that thing._

 _Their relationship became more tense when, just out of curiosity, the boy took a picture of himself with said camera when Shuta was busy. But before he can see what the results are, Shuta drags the boy out and rips the photo in half. That evening, the older brother runs away from home, taking the camera with him._

 _The boy and his older brother haven't been in contact with each other ever since._

"Sort of," Shooti mumbles. "He's my older brother. Why do you ask?"

"I heard that he has taken lots of photographs of abandoned areas in Domino City and Domino Below and they all end up being, well, _more_ mysterious."

"...How so?"

Bel motions for Shooti to take a look at the photos. Shooti gets up from his seat and looks over her shoulder to take a better view. The website shows apartments, a theater, and even an asylum, all of them devoid of life. But each of them depict numerous shadows clinging onto the walls, giving each photo an aura of gloominess and despair that causes Shooti to shudder. He hates photographs that depict ghosts and horrifying things like catacombs and graveyards.

"All of these were photographed by Shuta just a few weeks ago," Bel explains. "It's part of his portfolio, as he states on his website."

"...Domino Haikyo 25?" Shooti asks, hoping that it isn't the answer.

Bel nods her head, and Shooti feels his heart dropping to his stomach. "Yeah, that's it."

 _That isn't the answer the boy is looking for. What exactly is Shuta trying to accomplish by photographing abandoned places with a camera that predicts the future?_

Jun notes the sweat falling down Shooti's forehead. "What's wrong? It's not like your brother is dead or anything."

"These places are all abandoned, Jun," says Bel. "But years ago, it's been told that people who entered them committed suicide, one way or another. No one knows how or why they decided to off themselves, but all of these places are now cursed.

"And now, ever since Shuta made the locations of these places known on his website, eyewitness reports say that those who enter these places feel like someone is watching them, touching them, possessing them, or if you want to go out there... attempting to murder them."

 _Great. Just another reason why the boy doesn't want to be involved in his brother's life now._

"And what's more, when I did a search on Domino Haikyo for more research, I found another website."

Bel quickly types the name of a new website as Jun and Shooti look on. The screen turns black, a loading symbol of a wheel runs, and then the screen shows numerous dots, red and white.

"What the…" Shooti gasps out.

"This is the website known as ' ,'" Bel explains, tenting her fingers over her mouth, eyes fixated on the homepage. "It's a message board that has various people go online from across Japan connect with one another."

"Wait, wait, wait…" says Shooti. Something isn't adding up. "You lived in California before coming to Domino City. How exactly did you find out about these websites so quickly? Better yet, how do you understand Japanese so well?"

Bel shrugs her shoulders and closes her eyes. "I said I lived in California, but I moved to Japan about a year ago and had Japanese tutoring twice a week (I'm a fast learner, don't you know?). My older sister, Korni, was into urban exploration and took me off on amazing adventures like the time we fed rabbits at Usagijima.

"But then, one day, she simply...vanished." Bel opens her eyes. "And I've been searching for her since. When I moved to Domino, I found out about your brother's love of haikyo and began a search to find my sister. I think she might be a Moderator for this site but...I can't be sure."

 _The boy feels his heart break at the story. Sure he's not on good terms with his older sibling, but he also is concerned as to where Shuta might have ended up. What if he's homeless, or someone stole his stuff, or worse, murdered?_

"So…" Jun begins, quickly counting up the number of dots. "There's 25 all together."

Bel nods her head. "They all appeared last night. It might be a sign."

"Or a threat…" Shooti murmurs. "But for what?"

 _The boy never gets an answer as he realizes that lunch is about to end soon and he needs to finish before he heads off to his next class (Science, his favorite). The thought of red and white dots doesn't enter his mind until later that night._

 _Because the only thing on the boy's mind right now (aside from not wanting to be late for class) is what his older brother is doing, and whether or not Shuta realizes what he is about to unleash._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _The rest of the day has the boy having his focus on a variety of subjects: his classes, his brother's whereabouts, and of Bel._

 _When he has PE at the end of the day, where the class goes through the mile run, the boy does his best to run, and is amazed at how both Jun and Bel run without being winded, and how they seem to be talking without being short of breath._

 _Now, the boy knows how Jun has unlimited amounts of energy and how the blond boy likes to run (hence why Jun is part of the track and field team the school offers), but there is no way that Bel should be able to catch up with someone who has been a running champ for the past two years and counting. Nor should the two be able to run that fast since neither of them had lunch._

 _The boy finds that suspicious, but he knows that no one will believe him if he voices his theory without proof. So, as he changes out of his PE uniform and gathers his stuff, he is happy that the mile run is done with, for now, and just wants to go back home and rest._

 _But fate, apparently, has other plans._

* * *

"Shooti," says Bel, waiting for the boy at the entrance to the school. "Can I ask you something?"

Shooti looks in alarm as Jun also appears, looking at his watch as if waiting for something.

"What is it?" Shooti asks. Bel lets out a sigh.

"If it's possible," she begins. "Do you mind if I visit your place before I go back home? I...I want to check something."

 _The boy is shocked; he hasn't even known Bel for a day and already she wants to see where he lives?_

"Um...well...I…." Shooti stutters, his face turning red as Bel tilts her head at him. Jun just chuckles.

*He means 'Yes,'" he explains. "You two go have your fun. I gotta get home early."

"What? No hitting the arcade today?" says Shooti.

Jun shrugs his shoulders. "Have something important waiting for me there. So," he clasps a hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezing it tight as he whispers, "Be safe, ok?"

 _The boy should have been more aware of the vagueness of those words, but brushes them aside. Mistake number 7._

"I'll be okay, Jun," Shooti replies. "I'm just walking back home from school. Not like that's ever killed anyone."

Jun says nothing, but then he beams at the two before the two groups go their separate ways. As they walk under a burning sun, Shooti starts asking Bel plenty of questions.

"What's your favorite colors?"

"Orange and green."

"Favorite food?"

"Grilled salmon with a baked potato and steamed broccoli, mango lassi (an Indian yogurt drink) and carrot cake."

"Zodiac sign?"

"Aquarius."

"Favorite movie?"

* _Metropolis_. The black and white movie, not the anime one."

"Hobbies?"

Bel just smiles. "I write and recite my writings." Shooti looks in confusion. "I was part of a performance arts group in my old school, and I would recite what I wrote to those who would listen."

"So, you're a poet?"

Bel laughs slightly, hand close to her mouth. "That's too general of a word. Here. Let me recite one of my works."

She clears her throat. "I walk amongst the tombstones and toadstools, searching for spirits unseen and sights unknown to fill my mind with flights of fantasy. I float amongst the River Styx in search of souls who seek solitude and solace. I find myself in pursuit of nightmares and fairy tales from the precious moments of my youth and push the mental boundaries beyond those that my parents constructed…"

 _With each word she speaks, the boy is spellbound. This isn't poetry, nor is it a monologue; this is a continuous train of thoughts woven into a fine tapestry that leaves a lasting image in the boy's mind. If he has the artistic skills, he would use these thousand words to paint a picture. But instead, he lets himself listen to her voice, filled with longing, and thinks of what it would be like to get closer to her._

 _But despite her rhetoric, once again, the boy picks up something off. Unless she has a large lung capacity, Bel speaks nonstop for at least five minutes, never once pausing to take a breath. It all comes out like water from a broken dam, never ceasing, overflowing with emotion and soul, filling the boy with a sense of wonder, awe and fantasy despite the strangeness of this girl._

 _Just as Bel finishes her speech, the two reach the boy's apartment. The boy quietly opens the door, mutters "Tadaima" despite knowing that his mother is still at work, and directs Bel to the shoe rack next to the door. Then, he leads her to the living room, a basic one with a large sofa that can sit up to five people, a television, and a table with a glass tabletop where a tissue box and a photograph of the boy, his mother and his older brother are the only decorations on it. The girl picks the photo up._

"You look cute in this picture," she comments.

Shooti sits down and looks at the photo, one that was taken five months ago at a dueling event at Kaiba Land. Shooti is wearing a medal around his neck, a prize he received for participating in a duel that day (against Haruka, a fellow student from DCIS, the so-called Princess of Prophecy due to her exceptional skill with the Prophecy monsters that has made her practically undefeated) alongside a large Duel Disk on his left arm.

"Thanks," Shooti mumbles, his cheeks tinged red. He recalls Haruka's combo of summoning her favorite Prophecy monsters (High Priestess and Empress) that shut down his OTK just one turn before he drew Short Circuit and handed him a solid defeat. Although, considering how many students have gone toe-to-toe with her (including Jun with his Six Samurai monsters), he is lucky enough to last around ten turns with her.

The day someone deals her a solid defeat is a long way ahead.

"You're a duelist, huh?" says Bel, snapping Shooti out of his thoughts. "What type of deck do you use?"

"I use a Batteryman deck. Do you want me to show it to you?"

Bel smiles. "I'd be delighted. But first, I'm a little thirsty. Could I have a glass of water?"

"Sure," Shooti stands up and heads for the kitchen. "Let me get that for…"

 _Then, the boy notices something wrong with that statement. He thinks he has been crazy the entire day, but this little question is what makes everything click like the shutter of a camera._

"You don't need food or drink…" he says, turning to face Bel. His heart beats loudly as he says this, denial racing through his mind at what he has realized. "Your skin feels cold to the touch…You don't feel tired or have to breathe..."

"Shooti, are you okay?" asks Bel, leaning forward to place a hand over his own. "Are you running a…"

"Don't come near me!" Shooti exclaims, walking backwards to the wall. When his back hits it, he slides to the floor. "You...you're a Dark Signer, right? You're _dead_ , aren't you?"

There is a pause, like all sound has been muted as Bel slightly opens her mouth to speak. Then, she closes her mouth, removes her glasses and sets them on the table before finally closing her eyes. Shooti reaches for his cellphone still in his backpack, hoping to call someone to get him out of this mess.

After twenty seconds of uneasy silence, Bel speaks. "We were right. You were the one needed for our mission."

Shooti gasps when Bel suddenly opens her eyes. The sclera are like the negatives of a film strip, a solid black that looks unnatural. A small red mark appears in the corner of her left eye before her school uniform transforms into a black cloak with orange trim-just like the one she wore back at Satisfaction Town less than 48 hours ago.

Without hesitation, Shooti hastily pulls out his cellphone and presses the emergency call button. But just as he is about to enter the four number PIN, Bel narrows her eyes and he freezes as if she is a Gorgon, paralyzed by that glare to even lift a finger.

"Don't even bother to call him," she states, staring at Shooti straight in the eye. Her voice is edged with an icy tone. "Jun won't be available for a while."

 _The boy flinches; how does she know that is who he is going to call? Better yet, since the two are alone, what is Bel going to do to him?_

 _And again, the boy makes another mistake here; he should have called his best friend either way, or at least sent a text message, instead of putting his phone away for later. After all, the boy thinks to himself, Jun will be okay._

 _Oh is the boy going to regret that later._

"I wish to talk to you," Bel continues. "You are needed for something we are currently investigating. However, I think it will be best that I explain everything from the beginning before you jump to the conclusion that I am here to kill you. That's not how the Dark Signers work."

"B...but what about Kiryu?" Shooti stammers out, remembering that it was Bel who announced that Kiryu had become a walking dead that fateful night at Satisfaction Town, how Kiryu screamed in denial at his new undead state.

Bel's eyes slightly widen before returning to their normal size. She places her hands over her lap and sighs (or at least, she looks like she does, seeing as she has no need for oxygen). "He is a special case, as will the rest of Team Satisfaction be in a short time."

"The _rest_ of Team Satisfaction?" Shooti feels his heart pounding in his chest. "Wait, you're going to…"

"The Dark Signers _do not kill_ ," Bel repeats sternly. "We only feed off of the sin in people's souls and only devour a soul if they wreak of too _much_ sin. Kiryu was at the wrong place at the wrong time when we went after Magician's Four, but we received word from our lord, the Dark King of the Afterlife, that he and his fellow 'Enforcers' will be needed for more important work in the future."

"'We?'" Shooti repeats, remembering the five women in black cloaks. "H...how many Dark Signers are there?"

"Seven, one for each sin and are differentiated by the trim of their cloaks. If we use the colors of a rainbow, the order goes: Kamitsure, me, Korni, Nagi, Natsume, Mikuri and Wataru. Each Dark Signer was once a person who died by unfortunate means related to a certain vice, chosen to be bound to one of the Earthbound Immortals in order to purge souls of sin and eventually open the Gates of Hamunaptra where…"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Shooti interrupts, remembering Bel's story from lunch. "You said 'Korni' is one of the Dark Signers; I thought you said that she was your older sister who ran away and joined some online forum! You lied to me!"

Shooti snarls. If there's one thing he hates outside of people telling him what not to do, is that he hates being lied to. "And I bet your story of living in California was also a complete lie, wasn't it?"

Bel snorts and clenches her teeth, the opposite of the girl with the bright smile from this morning. "What am I supposed to say at school? 'Oh, hi. I am a Dark Signer, resurrected by the Earthbound Immortal of the Hummingbird and feed off of the souls who reak of the sin of greed.' _That's_ sure to get me friends."

When Shooti says nothing, Bel looks away and turns her gaze at the picture of Shooti and his family on the table, her face more solemn. "...But I was telling the truth at lunch about your brother. He's currently involved in some dark business that is letting his soul be consumed with greed."

 _The boy doesn't know whether to feel either worried or furious towards his older brother about what he is getting himself into, but that can come later._

 _Knowing that Bel will not hurt him, (nor kill him...at least not right now), the boy takes the time to seat himself on the sofa. Even if Carly's warning about the Dark Signers ring in his ears and he should be running as far away as he can from this Dark Signer, the boy is curious as to what Bel has to say to him._

"Do you know any significance of the number 25 and how it connects to Shuta Hayami?" Bel inquires after a minute of awkward silence.

Shooti nods his head. "25 is my brother's favorite number; it was on his 25th birthday that he first became known for his photographs, and he mentioned how it took him 25 times before he was able to publish his first book of photographs, _Domino Below in Effect_ , which had photos of various buildings and people who live in the underground sections of Domino. He also mentioned that his next book would feature 25 unknown places that are just _begging_ to be explored (his words, not mine)."

" _Domino Haikyo 25_?"

"That's the one."

Bel returns her gaze back at Shooti, contemplating her words before speaking. "So, if that's the case, do you think he is related to that online forum with the twenty five dots on them?"

"Depends. W...what do _you_ suggest that website is planning?"

Bel shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe it's a gathering for those who use it. All we know is that website shall be the beginning of all of our troubles soon enough."

"So, let me get this straight. You want me to investigate something that _might_ have my brother involved all because it had his favorite number in it, and you're also one of these Dark Signers that has resurrected a member of Team Satisfaction for some nefarious scheme. What else have I missed?"

"What would you like to know? Or better yet, what will you do if I told you everything you wanted to know? Post it online? Make yourself famous with this interview with a Dark Signer?" Bel clicks her teeth. "This isn't about the knowledge, but the prestige you'll receive from obtaining such a big scoop, isn't it?"

 _Again, the boy flinches; in a way, he wants to learn more about the Dark Signers out of curiosity, not out of cruelty to expose them and cause a ruckus not unlike the Witch Trials across the ocean centuries ago. And unlike_ some _authors of Haikyo, If he was to be the one publishing a book on that subject, he wouldn't add a map to these places, thus causing more of the selfish and uncaring explorers to graffiti or damage the structures by taking chunks of it for themselves as souvenirs as their way of saying "X was here"._

 _What the boy wants to do when he obtains that job in_ Chasing Shadows _is to inform people with knowledge, and to ensure that said people do not use that knowledge to hurt others. That's what his brother taught him in the past whenever he took his photographs for magazine articles or the like...before that camera came and ruined everything._

"I…" Shooti begins, looking into Bel's black eyes. Despite how terrifying they look, he attempts to look past that and see her with those lively green ones from this morning. "I want to know _you_ better. I find you so...different, and this was before I let it sink in that you're not really human."

"The person I was before I became resurrected by Ascilla piscu was your typical, run-of-the-mill clumsy girl who lived in a small town no one cares about, was ignored by her peers and bullied by the more popular students at school, dreamed of being famous, had a father who didn't give a damn about her and had little to no self confidence," Bel answers plainly. She looks at her hands and rubs the back of a thumb as she adds,"There was nothing special about her."

"I don't think a normal girl would be able to watch a spectacle like _Metropolis_ nor have an interest in the color orange or Indian yogurt drinks. I mean, I'm into _Blade Runner_ myself, I also like the color orange and my favorite drink is carrot juice."

"I doubt a normal girl would disobey her father into attending an underground performing artists show where you have to be at least 16 to enter, where people dress up in flamboyant costumes and drink cheap beer, while you hope to perform something you made only for your rival to pour her drink on it, ruin it, then you have to improv a new speech before some half-assed drunkard causes a riot by throwing an empty beer bottle at your face."

Shooti stays quiet before he slowly slips his hand into Bel's own, seeing the girl turn inward as she recalls that memory. Bel looks up as Shooti asks,

"Are you willing to tell me more about that night?"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _The next hour has Bel recount the series of unfortunate events that would lead her to her death as a normal girl and resurrection as a Dark Signer. The boy doesn't ask questions until the very end, spellbound by the girl's tale as he learns more about these mysterious figures and what they do when they aren't acting like vampires for human sin. Through it all, he never brings his phone out to record this information, out of respect for Bel, and only leaves to either go to the bathroom, get a drink of water or pick up something from his bedroom (his teal camera and deck, both of which Bel looks through intensively)._

 _The two then talk some more about anything that comes into their minds before the boy reheats some leftover chicken teriyaki he ate for lunch (he has had to learn how to cook since his mother works graveyard shifts at the Domino City Hospital) for them to share. Despite Bel explaining that she does not need to eat (she and the other Dark Signers only partake in it to appear normal and also so that they don't have to tap into their respective Earthbound Immortal's energy reserves for mundane things), the boy urges her to at least have dinner since she is staying at his home as a guest. After having a taste of said chicken teriyaki, she accepts, her Dark Signers cloak transformed into her normal clothes and her eyes their original green color once more._

 _The boy has to resist the urge to laugh at Bel's inexperience in using chopsticks and gradually teaches her how to grip said chopsticks like a spoon to scoop up rice. This leads to a conversation as to how many schools in Japan actually assess students' skills in using them which causes Bel to laugh when the boy accidentally has a piece of chicken drop on his shirt when he uses his own chopsticks. The boy has to admit that, looking back, the scenario was kind of hilarious._

 _It is as they are about to finish their dinner that the boy gets the courage to ask her an important question._

* * *

"Say, Bel," he asks, watching Bel wipe a smudge of teriyaki sauce on the corner of her mouth with her thumb before licking it. Shooti blushes as he does his best to look at a spot on the couch. "You asked me this morning if I took a picture of you and, well, I took one of you and those other four Dark Signers just as Kiryu was dragged off to the afterlife…."

"We sent him to our sanctuary," Bel explains, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "He's currently back at Satisfaction Town as if nothing happened."

Shooti stares at her, trying to see any signs of Bel lying to him. But Bel just calmly takes a bite out of some carrot pickles, thus making it difficult to interpret what she is really thinking.

And besides, even if he does learn the truth, there's no feasible way for him to tell the other members of Team Satisfaction about it, nor does the boy find it possible for the three to even believe him.

"...So," Shooti begins again. "Um, if you don't mind...could I take a picture of you? I mean, you... you did ask and all so...

Bel swallows as Shooti picks up his digicam, turning it on as the lens opens up. The girl stares at Shooti waiting for an answer before she smiles, puts her glasses back on, then places a pointer finger on her cheek and winks at him, both actions taken on the left side of her face.

 _Ch'csh_. And with that, the photo is taken. Shooti looks at the picture of Bel smiling at him; she looks so...alive.

But just before Shooti can vocally state this to her, he gets an unexpected phone call.

The ringtone ("Kiri", the opening to _Ergo Proxy_ ,which Shooti binge-watched at least half of the series the day before) plays out before Shooti takes a look at the caller ID and find Carly's name displayed.

This confuses Shooti; for one thing, Carly usually babysits him on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The other thing is that she's usually so busy with her work that she sends him text messages rather than call.

Something isn't right.

As the first line of the song begins to play Shooti presses the call button and places the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Shooti!" Carly's voice is panicky. Shooti can hear her panting for breath amongst the various background noise of screams. It sounds like she is at an amusement park. "Oh God, are you okay? Where are you?"

"At home. Why? What's going on? Where are you?"

"I'm at Domino Station! Haven't you seen the news? There's been a terrible accident!"

Shooti walks up to the television and picks up the remote. He turns it on and waits for the screen to show the news as news reporter Angela Rains appears in front of Domino Station.

"I'm here in front of Domino Station where a number of students have jumped in front of an oncoming train," Angela begins, her face doing an inept job in hiding the terror of what has happened. "The station is bathed in blood and commuters have been seen screaming in terror at the site. No word as to why this happened has been brought forth so stay tuned for details."

As the news shows ambulances from the Domino Hospital, their red lights blaring and workers rushing in, Shooti can barely hear Carly continue over the screams and alarms on television.

"And you won't believe who I saw jump! Jun was there...he killed himself alongside 24 other students!"

 _Jun? No...no this couldn't be…_

Shooti drops his phone in horror as he feels everything start to spin. Jun, his best friend since kindergarten, who was the first person to ask him to have lunch together on the first day of school, who helped Shooti choose the Batteryman archetype for his deck, who, just this morning, teased him about the adventures Shooti had with Carly over the weekend and as to how Shooti and Bel were already a couple...

Jun...has _killed himself._

"Shooti?" Carly asks on the phone. "Shooti, are you still there?! Hello?"

Shooti numbly hangs up, his mind drained of emotions as he feels everything break like a crystal glass, his mouth dry as he opens to gasp for air before he hyperventilates or does something even worse.

The only thing that prevents him from screaming his lungs out is Bel walking towards him, firmly gripping his shoulders and making him face her. Shooti clenches his teeth as tears freely fall down his face before he wraps his arms around her body (ignoring the fact that he is technically embracing a corpse) and wets her school uniform with his tears as it sinks in that his best friend is dead and he could have prevented it if he paid more attention.

Ten more minutes of sobbing passes, as the news shows Angela Rains announcing that there are 25 corpses that have stained the train tracks red, before Bel speaks and Shooti apologizes to Jun for not saving him.

"Jun will be all right," Bel declares, patting Shooti's back. "After all, you can't easily kill someone who is already dead."

If the news of Jun committing suicide hasn't already shaken Shooti to the core, Bel's statement does the trick. The boy steps back and looks at Bel with a mixture of hope, disbelief and anger all rolled into one.

"W...what did you just say?" Shooti asks, honestly not knowing what to believe anymore.

Bel turns the television off and watches as Shooti takes two tissues into his hands. He dabs his eyes with one and blows his nose with another as Bel bites her bottom lip.

"Shooti," she says as she closes her eyes. "I'm surprised that Jun hasn't told you this sooner but…" she opens her eyes once again and they are the jet-black color of a Dark Signer, but they seem magnified due to her glasses, as if they are looking deep into Shooti's soul. Shooti stays quiet, the room silent enough to hear his pulse quicken as Bel speaks once more.

"Jun has been dead since July. He has been resurrected by us, and is now reborn as a Dark Signer Acolyte."


	3. We Are The Strange

_**Once a boy reaches the stage of getting to first base with a girl, here comes the most dreaded part of the relationship…**_

 _ **Meeting the family.**_

 _ **There's the mother, who hopes that her daughter finds a man who will make her happy both in the emotional, mental and financial sense. She will dote on the boy and ask him questions about his life, and the boy makes sure to look presentable as the family has a meal (courtesy of the mother) which is when the grilling from the father begins.**_

 _ **The father will make sure to tell the boy that the girl is treated right, or else suffer the consequences of a vengeful father. And the boy has to promise that the girl is treated well before the father gives his blessing.**_

 _ **I wonder what would have happened if I invited Bel to meet my family over dinner. Instead of something from a relatively normal family, I would be the one cooking a meal for four as Bel was introduced to my overworked mother, my now reclusive older brother with his prediction camera and of course, me and my questions about her. Hopefully, the meal and talk would have ended peacefully and Bel and I could have a relationship without everyone else hounding on us.**_

 _ **But, then again, asking for a peaceful life is out of the question now.**_

 _ **Because, as I would learn later on, there are no such things as perfect families…**_

 _ **Unless of course, they are manufactured to the highest bidder.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **2nd Shot:**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **We Are The Strange**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _So, here is what the boy has discovered today._

 _First off, Bel is a girl who likes an old sci-fi movie, Indian yogurt drinks and is one of the Dark Signers who dragged Kiryu Kyosuke to...well, not the afterlife, but probably something similar to it, and the rest of Team Satisfaction will be joining him soon._

 _Second, the boy's older brother may or may not be involved with some strange website because of how it coincidentally has his favorite number on it and there's an unsolved mystery in regards to that camera of his._

 _Third, the boy has learned that his closest friend growing up just jumped into the path of an oncoming train along with twenty-four other students - whether they're all from DCIS, or they came from different schools around the city, won't be uncovered for a while - from Carly._

 _And fourth?_

 _As he clings onto Bel, this girl who has spent an afternoon in his apartment, telling her life story and having dinner with him, she has told the boy that his best friend has become something like her, a Dark Signer Acolyte, keeping this secret to the boy since school began._

 _But, looking back, it all makes sense. Jun not buying nor eating lunches yet having the energy to run despite running on empty, the fact that Jun was questioning about what the boy did with Carly over the weekend, how he was talking to Bel at PE…_

 _The boy just questions why he didn't see all of this sooner._

Shooti feels close to vomiting as he takes a step back from Bel, his mind nearly overloaded with this information. Jun commits suicide, then it's revealed that he's been dead for practically _three months?_ And revived by a Dark Signer, of all things?

So all this time, whenever Jun caught Shooti by surprise, or they shook hands, or when Jun asked for help on his English homework at home period (which is Jun's weakest subject), took pictures and more...he was _dead_?

Bel notices Shooti slowly drop to his knees as everything sinks in. She doesn't need to ask any questions, but instead waits for what feels like an eternity of silence, actually three minutes, before speaking.

"You were on vacation in Hokkaido when this happened," she says succinctly. "But Jun was strangled to death by the jail warden of the Facility known as Armstrong when the latter accused Jun of tampering with his deck before a showdown with Jun's father. Fortunately, Korni was observing the match and resurrected Jun because, trust me, you wouldn't have liked what Jun looked like _after_ the torture ended."

 _Armstrong...Carly has told the boy that this man is bad news. Aside from that Iron deck he uses, his apathy, connections to some of the seedier members of Domino Below's underworld, and his disgusting habit of blowing nose hairs at other people, has made him hated by_ everyone _in prison. One would have to be fearless or suicidal to survive against a man like that._

 _Jun's father is neither fearless nor suicidal, but he has a sense of honor and respect for many of the prisoners who aren't really as bad as the media (occasionally) makes them out to be and has been trying to find a defense attorney to help them leave and have better lives for themselves. After all, if no one will go out to defend them, who will?_

 _From what the boy can recall, Kurotsugu plays an Invokers deck (to match with Jun's Samurai monsters as the boy knows that father and son love playing_ Final Fantasy X _) and the boy knows how dangerous they can be when out on the field. But Jun going as far as tampering with someone's deck? No, there is no way that Jun would do something so dishonorable...it goes against the "Code of the Samurai" that Jun established for himself._

 _So...if Jun is dead, does his father…_

Bel nods her head as if reading Shooti's thoughts. "Kurotsugu-san knows about what happened to his son, and has been giving us the 'locations' of our 'sweets.'" When Shooti looks at her confused, she smiles. "That's what Wataru calls the souls filled with sin, because people feeding on their sins like they are candy." she chuckles. "In fact, whenever we feed, the sin actually _does_ taste like candy."

Shooti doesn't know whether to laugh alongside this living dead girl or crawl into his bed for three days. Instead, he slowly rises to his feet and swallows a lump in his throat before speaking.

"Jun is dead and he kept this hidden from me?" He whispers in disbelief and guilt for not realizing this sooner.

Bel sighs then frowns. "He knows how you would react; you would either be in complete denial about it or think it's one of his crazy jokes. Then, when it finally sank in…"

 _The boy really doesn't like how Bel is right about that line of thinking, but knows better than to argue with the living dead girl about his flaws._

"Ah, I see," says Shooti, plastering a smile on his face despite being shattered by the news. "So...how long will it be until Jun...heals himself?"

"He should be crying his eyes out in a few hours and his survival status will spread all over the news," Bel answers in a carefree tone like one would discuss the weather. Shooti clenches his teeth as he feels the tears ready to fall once more. Bel blushes and places a hand towards her mouth. "Sorry, was I insensitive back then?"

Shooti shakes his head as he wipes away another tear. "N...no, I'm just not used to learning that my friend is part of the living dead used for...why is he jumping in front of a train, exactly?"

"Remember what I said about that website?" Shooti nods his head. "There has been a strange epidemic of runaway teens…"

"That's perfectly normal in smaller towns," Shooti interrupts. "Why is it so important _here_?"

"Because most of the evidence connects that their disappearance is linked to _Domino Haikyo_. Jun has been doing investigations for us and, once he's recovered from being run over by a subway train, he'll be able to tell what he's uncovered."

"And...how long will that be? And wait, if Jun is already dead, there's no possible way that he can get a check-up at the hospital! They'll be taking his temperature and hearing his heartbeat but they'll find he's cold as ice and that he _has_ no heartbeat! Worse, what if my _mom_ was the one who had to check on him? What if she tries to talk to me about this? What would I tell her?" Shooti begins to hyperventilate and tugs on his hair. "This is bad, this is really…"

 _The boy getting slapped across the face by Bel and knocked down to the floor returns him to his senses. For an undead girl, she packs a powerful slap._

Bel kneels down and rubs Shooti's swollen cheek with a thumb. "I give it a week until Jun decides to come back to school, and don't worry about the hospital; we have a doctor who handles special cases related to the Dark Signers. They'll fix Jun up in no time with the medical records to prove it."

"O...oh…" Shooti stammers out.

Another minute of awkward silence passes before Bel stands up and extends a hand towards Shooti.

"Shooti," she begins. "There's a place I wish to take you. I mean, your mom is going to be pretty busy tonight and there's probably going to be a big announcement at the school tomorrow so homework won't be a big deal and all. Plus, I want to show you some very important people. That is...if you'll let me."

 _The boy pauses as he stares at Bel's hand, knowing he has a choice: refuse the offer and continue his way of living, or accept it and see what Bel wants to give him and to uncover what Jun has discovered along the way._

 _The boy quickly recalls what Kaibaman said to him that night when the Dark Signers entered his life - that it will get uglier if the boy decides to continue the investigation. But the boy has gone through numerous investigations with Carly time and time again, and nothing has happened to him. What would make this one any different?_

 _Besides, if any trouble_ does _happen, Bel will be by his side (and the fact that she's willing to explain what's going on, compared to Mr. High and Mighty telling the boy to stay away without elaborating on why it's a bad idea to pursue the Dark Signers, makes her seem trustworthy in the boy's eyes)._

 _Without hesitation, the boy takes Bel's hand, ready to venture into an unknown world with this girl who, in the span of one night, the boy has started to fall in love with. This is probably what it felt like in "Hello Dolly!" in how this single moment with Bel is what makes the boy know that he has fallen in love with her._

"Take me wherever you want to go," says Shooti. "I'm ready."

 _And this is most definitely the boy's ninth mistake, for whoever is keeping track._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _Ten minutes later, after the boy changes out of his school uniform and into a simple shirt, jeans and orange hoodie and packs his satchel with various paraphernalia (his camera, his cell phone, a portable charger, a notepad and some pens, a bottle of water, a few rice balls, and a pack of tissues), he and Bel leave the apartment and walks toward what Bel calls "home"._

 _And by that, Bel summons a portal of shadows where the door normally stands and takes the boy with her. The boy follows without question and it only takes a minute of walking through this tunnel of darkness before they see a light at the end of it (to which Bel reassures the boy that, no, he's not dead)._

 _When the two step out, the boy finds himself standing in front of a grand mansion, one that he is quite familiar with._

"Here we are!" says Bel, standing at the porch of said mansion. "Home Sweet Home."

Shooti looks around him and tries to take it all in. He, like any kid his age, has heard varying rumors of this mansion. From it belonging to a scientist who manufactured a child for himself based off a woman he was obsessed with, to the legends of ghosts that kidnap naughty children, no one has been able to accurately pinpoint the mansion's history and no two people will tell the same story.

Bel takes Shooti's hand and walks him to the door, where she points, draws an intricate design onto it and whispers a phrase,

"Let the Gates to Paradise open."

And then, the door opens with a silent whoosh and Shooti has no time to react when Bel drags him inside, the door closing behind him.

Shooti looks around, seeing the interior of the manor having a Gothic feel to it. It is black, blackity black, black, black, from the chandelier above Shooti's head, to the paintings that line the hall, to the only source of light comes from torches in their sconces, their flames a bright violet color.

To Shooti, it looks like it came straight out of a Hammer horror film.

"Is it to your liking?" asks Bel, spinning around and bringing her arms out. When she spins, her clothes change from orange to black, and her eyes darken from vibrant green to jet black. "We did a little redecorating over the summer in order to accommodate our new Acolytes."

Shooti looks around and starts taking photos of his surroundings, the stream of _ch'csh, ch'csh, ch'csh_ proceeding like a drum with a press of his finger. Bel giggles at the childlike glee shown on Shooti's face as he walks towards her.

"It's nothing like I have ever seen," he says. "I would love to be able to live in a place like THIS!"

Shooti is suddenly flung into the air, trapped by gossamer red threads that wrap around his leg and causes him to sway to the sides like a pendulum. Bel looks in horror before she smiles and shakes her head.

"Molly!" she cries out to the darkness. "Let him go right now."

"Aww…" A girl's voice whines. "But he could be a bad guy!"

" _Now_ , Molly," Bel insists. "Shooti is my guest, and you will treat him kindly, okay?"

"...Fine."

Shooti struggles to free himself, swinging back and forth, back and forth to gain momentum. On the third swing, as he moves forth, he is met face to face with a girl floating upside down, with blue eyes staring back at him.

Just as it looks like he is going to hit her smack-dab in the face, the girl (Molly) raises her hand and the threads that bind Shooti unravel, causing him to fall…

And be caught in Bel's open arms.

Shooti blinks as he realizes where he is now as Bel giggles, before Molly - who has been standing on the ceiling the entire time - turns around and tilts her head back and forth at Shooti.

"If Bel says you're not a bad guy…" she says. "Maybe...maybe you're her Acolyte?"

"What...me?" asks Shooti while Bel helps him down. When his feet hit the floor, he looks up at the girl. She looks no older than someone starting kindergarten, with short brown hair tied back with a blue ribbon, a white blouse and a blue dress on top of that, white socks and blue dress shoes. Surprisingly, her skirt doesn't obey the laws of gravity; instead of falling "down" to expose the girl's undergarments, they act as if Molly is on the ground.

"Of course!" The girl giggles. "Why else would you be here?"

Before Shooti can formulate an answer, Bel sighs.

"Get down from there, Molly," she says. "We don't want to leave footprints on the ceiling, okay?"

Molly pauses then smiles and nods her head. "Okay, Bel!"

With a graceful flip, the girl descends to the floor, her outfit transforming into a black dress embroidered with spider lilies. Her bright blue eyes have darkened into a shade of black that causes Shooti to open and close his mouth in shock, trying to find the mental process to say something, but instead can only point to Molly with a trembling finger as he feels like the hallway is spinning.

Fortunately, Bel can pick up what is on Shooti's mind and sadly nods her head. "Yes, Shooti, she's dead."

"And she was resurrected as an Acolyte?" Shooti exclaims, wracking his brain around the concept of this little girl being in the same undead state that his best friend is in. "Who would do such a thing?"

"That would be me."

Shooti freezes. He knows that voice; it's the same one from two nights ago.

That same voice chuckles as Shooti turns around, seeing a woman with blonde hair in a bowl cut, her bangs framing her heart-shaped face, wearing a yellow and black strapless dress, black leggings and yellow high-heels. On her neck is a leather choker with a scarlet spider pendant and her left ring finger has a silver band with a bright topaz in the center. She also wears a pair of headphones consisting of a black band, white casings over the speakers (with a red triangle on the right and a blue triangle on the left) and a long black cable on each side of the headphones that go down to her knees. The woman smiles.

"So," she says, eyeing Shooti up and down. "You're the guest Bel texted about beforehand, correct?"

Shooti just nods his head as Molly giggles and gleefully wraps her arm around the woman's waist.

"Kamitsure nee-san!" Molly squeals. "Did you see that? I trapped him with my strings!"

Kamitsure, the woman with the spider choker, smiles and pats Molly's shoulder. "I did, sweetheart. But you shouldn't be tying up our guests. Otherwise, how will we ensure that they will come back to see us? Would you want to tie up any of your friends from school?"

Molly pauses in thought before she shakes her head.

"Exactly," says Kamitsure. She then looks at Shooti. "Oh, where are my manners? I am Kamitsure, Dark Signer of the Spider. And this little girl by my side is my Acolyte, Molly Hale."

"Hi!" says Molly, looking up at Shooti. "What's your name?"

"S...Shooti Hayami," Shooti answers quickly.

Kamitsure rubs her chin in contemplation. "Does this mean you're related to... _him_?"

 _The boy hesitates. If he lies to her, then she would punish him. If he says the truth, would she hurt him?_

 _Seeing as the truth would set him free, the boy answers…_

"Yes. Shuta Hayami is my older brother."

Kamitsure stares at Shooti with a knowing gaze before she smiles. "Well, at least we now know that you're an honest person. Let me at least reward you by showing you my true self."

Kamitsure brings her arm out, where the outline of a glowing purple spider appears. Then, Shooti watches as this woman's attire changes from a yellow and black dress to just a plain black cloak with red lines forming the image of a spider, the spider's thin legs stretched across her chest, before Kamitsure's eyes turn black. The older woman smiles as Shooti can only remember that woman staring back at him two nights ago.

Kamitsure chuckles. "You have such honest reactions. Now, why don't we continue this conversation in my room, okay?" She turns to Bel. "You don't mind if I have about ten minutes with him, right?"

"No, I don't mind," Bel answers. "I need to get my room cleaned up anyway. I'll be at the door when time is up, okay?"

"All right then! See you later!"

Kamitsure giggles as Bel heads off down the hall, all while Molly waves back and Shooti stays still. After a second of silence, Kamitsure blinks, and her eyes are back to a cool blue color.

"Well?" she asks. "What are you waiting for?"

"U...um," Shooti answers, looking back and forth. "Aren't you going to take me back to your room?"

"I will, I will. I just thought you were going to take a picture of me. They last longer than glimpses."

"Huh?" Shooti blinks, briefly glancing at the camera in his hands. "Um...is that okay?"

"Kamitsure-san and I love photos!" Molly giggles. "Come on, come on! Take a photo of us! Please?"

 _The boy knows that taking photos of the Dark Signers without Carly's knowledge (if she's even aware of Bel's true nature or where he is right now) will have him killed. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The boy can't pass this up._

Shooti hastily raises his camera to the air and watches as Molly beams at him while wrapping her arms around one of Kamitsure's slender legs. Shooti quickly takes a photo before Molly grabs onto Shooti's hand and practically lifts him off the ground.

"Hey, slow down! You're going too fast!" Shooti screams, feeling like he's been chained to a car going 70 km/h.

Molly skids to a stop two seconds later just as Shooti feels his face meet the door. Molly claps her hands as Kamitsure appears a second later and calmly opens the door.

"Forgot to mention that," she says, extending an arm out to help Shooti stand up. "But we Dark Signers have some unique abilities."

"I sorta noticed," Shooti groans as he takes the hand and rises to his feet. He pokes his head inside the room and gasps. "Whoa…"

The room is as large as his living room, and the walls are decorated with neon lights and posters of Sci-fi movies (He can see one of _Blade Runner_ and _Metropolis_ ) and a shelf filled with a variety of books (he spots a few Ray Bradbury novels, one of them being _The Halloween Tree_ ) juxtapositioned with a cluster of adorable stuffed animals on a shag carpet. There is also a large bed with garnet colored sheets and black pillows and above everyone's heads are long red strings of Christmas lights. There's a laptop charging near the collection of stuffed animals. The laptop is paused at the screen of a show ( _Scary Godmother_ , judging by the looks of it).

"This is your room?" asks Shooti.

" _Our_ room," says Kamitsure, placing an arm over Molly's shoulder. "She's staying with me until she can get adjusted to her own bedroom here."

"Oh…" Shooti then looks at Kamitsure and Molly before awkwardly asking. "Is Molly your...daughter?"

Kamitsure's mouth turns into a frown and for a moment, Molly looks a bit solemn. Shooti then places a hand over his mouth.

"Oh god, I'm sorry!" he exclaims. "I didn't mean to delve into anything personal or anything."

"No, no, it's okay," Kamitsure answers. "Although, Korni and I do think she'd be the perfect daughter if we were both alive."

"Ah, I s…Wait, you and Korni are…"

Shooti takes a glance at Kamitsure's ring and then back at Molly before Kamitsure giggles. His face turns red at the implications.

"We're engaged at the moment," Kamitsure begins, entering the bedroom. Molly approaches the laptop and sits down, pressing the play button so she can watch her movie. Kamitsure sits at the edge of her bed and kicks off her heels as she continues, "Our wedding will be after the school year ends, and we'll be having a honeymoon in Venice. Yes, yes, I know it's weird that I'm…"

"No, no that's not what I was thinking of!" Shooti interrupts. "I'm...happy that you and Korni are lovers. I just...it's the last thing I was expecting tonight."

"Oh, so what _were_ you expecting?"

Shooti looks all around him before he says, "What's your job?"

"I'm a DJ, and I work a couple of nights a week at a nightclub, the one known as _Silver Eye_ , not far from Satisfaction Town. I go under the name of DJ Kyew-Kyew and we're planning a huge dance party next week. You wanna come?"

"Er, no thanks. I'm not into places with loud music and all."

Kamitsure sighs. "Suit yourself. Now, next question?"

"Well...Bel told me about how Dark Signers absorb the sin of people, and that her sin is of Greed. What exactly is yours, Kamitsure-san?"

Kamitsure tilts her head to the side as she figures out what to say, all while Molly lies on her stomach on top of the carpet, her legs lifted up and her head resting on her hands.

"I take it that Bel has told you how she became a Dark Signer, correct?" Kamitsure starts. patting the mattress.

When Shooti nods her head, Kamitsure chuckles. "Well, did she mention how her father got his just desserts?"

When Shooti shakes his head, Kamitsure sighs. When Shooti just stands there, Kamitsure beckons him with a finger to sit next to her. Understanding, Shooti walks toward the bed and sits down.

"Her father was in a drunken rage when this happened," Kamitsure begins, her eyes growing stern, her voice losing its playful tone. "When Bel finally stood her ground after having people praise her for her performance, in one of the happiest moments of her life he came and chewed her out, threatening to ground her in front of these people, before revealing he brought a police squad over just to bring his daughter back. In the chaos, when the police started arresting people left and right, she ran away from him...and into the path of a moving car."

 _The boy slowly shakes his head when Kamitsure says that. Such a clichéd way to die, but it doesn't necessarily mean it isn't horrible. No matter how one dies, it is still painful and agonising to witness._

"And as Ascilla piscu, the Earthbound Immortal of the Hummingbird, worked to revive her and bring her back from the land of the dead, I was on the move," Kamitsure lifts her hand into the air and then, Shooti watches as faint red glowing strings materialize around the undead woman's arm. "I could sense that her father was angry, that inside of him was so much hatred that it was eating away at his very being, just as it had caused his daughter's death. I could sense it, and so could Uru. And yes, that's the name of my Earthbound Immortal." Kamitsure pauses and raises an eyebrow. "You _are_ getting this down, aren't you?"

Shooti blinks before he rummages through his satchel and pulls out the notepad and pen. He then makes a few notes before he looks at Kamitsure again.

"I unleashed my Strings of Wrath upon him, and let them siphon away all of his anger. The more anger and hatred inside a person, the more strings that wrap around the target, cocooning them and draining each and every drop of anger out of their hearts. It took a while for the process to complete, as he was struggling (like all victims do) and screaming obscenities that I dare not repeat else I would be scrubbing Molly's mouth with soap for two months.

"But the gist of it was that he hated me for 'poisoning' his daughter into running away from home to perform in a place such as 'this', along with how my outfit was too 'revealing' and other things. At this point, Bel's resurrection was complete, and she tore through my Strings of Wrath to have a good tongue lashing at her father, stating that his 'love' for her ended with all of this happening, that if he actually let her go out and be with people and see the world, instead of sheltering her like a nightingale for only him to listen to, then she wouldn't have died, that she would have shown how much she loved him. But it was too late."

Kamitsure's smile looks sorrowful now. "Bel's anger for him was potent, potent enough that my Strings of Wrath went overboard and nearly killed that man. He was angry, he was borderline abusive...but to be killed by his own daughter's wrath would not teach him a lesson. I had to personally intervene and tell Bel that the worst punishment to give her father was to live. He would have to live the rest of his life knowing that he indirectly killed his daughter, and that any time he would feel wrath at someone, he would go blind."

"Ah, blinded by your own rage. I see." Shooti finishes writing his notes. "So...what about you? How did you..."

"If you're asking me how I died and became like this, I'm afraid our relationship level hasn't reached that far yet," Kamitsure answers with a wink. "Now then, do you know anything about your brother's recent work?"

"N...no," Shooti stammers out, looking at his notes. "All I know is that one day, he's acting nice and sweet, if a bit aloof, and then...he just vanishes one evening without saying goodbye or anything."

"Why would he do something like that?"

"Maybe because…" Shooti bites his lip. "Because he might be hiding something and doesn't want his family to get in the crossfire?"

"Interesting. But what exactly would a photographer like him be hiding? The photo evidence of a conspiracy? Maybe a politician having an illicit love affair? Tell me, your brother specializes in _haikyou_ , correct?"

"Yeah. Bel showed me that website...about those sites that became haunted after my brother took those photos."

"How exactly would your brother be able to create instant haunted photos? Surely there can't be that many spirits resting in there. Shooti…" Kamitsure places a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Tell me...what's happened to your brother?"

 _The boy looks at his notes, contemplating on what to say. This is something that is so secret, not even Carly knows what's happened. The boy just told Carly that Shooti has gone on a very important photoshoot and didn't have time to say good-bye. Whether or not Carly believed the boy- the boy is a bit of a bad liar and has a bad habit of averting people's gazes when he says false statements - is unknown, but the subject about Shuta's whereabouts hasn't been brought up - even if this disappearance would be good for_ Chasing Shadows _although the website isn't for "Missing" people._

 _If it did, then it would be of good use for a classmate in the boy's year, Shinji, who has been searching for his older brother who was last seen heading out to challenge Seto Kaiba._

 _Plus, how can the boy immediately tell something like this to a Dark Signer so soon? It's...it's not the time._

Shooti sighs, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I...I can't explain it, not yet."

"...I understand," Kamitsure answers before standing up. "When you're ready to talk, then talk. Just remember though...the longer you keep this silent, the longer it will take to find out the truth and the more people who will be hurt in the end."

Shooti blinks and turns to Kamitsure. "Wait, what do you mean by…"

"Oh, look at the time!" Kamitsure suddenly shouts, turning around to face Shooti. She smirks. "Ten minutes is up, and I should get you to Bel before she thinks I'm hogging you all to myself!"

"W...wait!" Shooti says. "I still have questions."

"Oh?" Kamitsure tilts her head. "Like what?"

"Like...like…" Shooti quickly glances at Molly happily watching her episode and humming a tune to herself, oblivious to Shooti staring at her. Kamitsure nods her head in understanding.

"You know how in the horror genre, especially for kids, there's always something about a cursed doll that bears a grudge for being abandoned and the like?" she asks.

When Shooti nods his head, he comes to the horrifying conclusion. "You mean…"

Kamitsure nods her head as she looks back at Molly cheerfully watching her show. "Her father, Dr. Spencer Hale, was a well-renowned archaeologist who had to make frequent trips away from home. On one particular trip, a stranger arrived at her house and handed her a doll named 'Alice', who would become her best friend. They did everything together...if only for a short time.

"You see, the doll she was given hated being abandoned, and when Molly began to go to school, she found herself spending less and less time playing with Alice compared to her playing with her flesh and blood friends. But one day, after coming home, Molly was led into the attic and she found Alice alive, walking, talking and angry. Molly's father foolishly placed Alice in the attic, and in doing so, all of Alice's pent-up rage of being abandoned manifested and she unleashed the spirit of all abandoned toys, hurling the poor girl out of a window where she…"

Shooti doesn't need Kamitsure to finish that sentence. That...that is a horrible way to go.

"I was on an important tour and took a stop at Greendale. That's when Uru tipped me off about some being filled with anger. I arrived just in time to find Molly's body still fresh and quickly revived her. No child should have to die like that. Of course, this was in full view of her father, who had just returned from a meeting in town, and then Alice arrived with the embodiment of an abandoned toy's wrath, Doll Chimera.

"I don't want to annoy you with details, but Alice summoned the Doll Chimera to kill Molly's father. After all, in Alice's eyes, it was him who caused all of this to happen-if he didn't put Alice on the shelf, none of this would have happened. He too died, much to Molly's horror. So, I decided to duel Alice, not only to feed from her anger and hatred, but to exorcise the darkness in Doll Chimera's heart.

"The duel was tricky; every time I thought I destroyed that thing, it kept coming back, more deranged, more twisted and more broken than ever. Eventually, I managed to win, and Alice's anger was mine, and with enough energy from Uru, I brought Molly's father out of the land of the dead. The poor girl, after I had fed, realized that she had committed a terrible sin, and said that if I wanted to kill her, then she deserved it. I had a better idea."

"And that idea was…" Shooti trails off.

Kamitsure smiles sadly. "It took a bit of doing, but Uru successfully gave Alice a human body and also rewrote Dr. Hale's memories to believe Alice was his daughter. Molly couldn't go back to her old life anymore; she was one of us now, destined to eventually take my place as a Dark Signer. So, the morning after this whole affair even started, I took Molly with me to not only continue my tour, but to get her integrated into her new life. Of course, she was sad about the entire thing, but a few weeks of this life in Domino has brought her back to her normal self."

When Kamitsure hears Molly laughs at something, the smile on her mouth stretches out like taffy. "Now," she claps her hands together. "Time to take you to Bel, then! Don't keep her waiting!"

Before Shooti can even say "The Tale of the Dream Girl", Kamitsure has her strings attach themselves to Shooti, lift him onto his feet and, like a master puppeteer, she stretches her fingers so that Shooti is flung toward the door (which opens by itself) and watches himself collide into Bel with a soft thud.

"That...could've been better," Shooti mumbles, shaking his head. He then looks down, glad to find that his hands are on Bel's shoulders and not anywhere lower, and sees Bel now dressed in normal attire: a white blouse with a black camisole underneath with the two covered by a large orange jacket, green chino pants, her blond hair topped with a large green beret decorated with a white bow and her feet covered in large orange sneakers with a black stripe in the middle. She also has those glasses from this morning, too. Bel just giggles as Shooti scrambles to stand up.

"Take care, you two!" Kamitsure says, waving a goodbye. "And don't do anything _too_ romantic, okay?"

She closes the door as Bel stands up, dusting herself up before she takes Shooti's hand. Shooti takes it, albeit a bit warily, before the two walk toward Bel's room, arm swinging back and forth.

"So," Bel begins, her green eyes staring at Shooti's grey ones from beneath her glasses. "What did you learn about Kamitsure-san?"

"She's...a DJ, lively, likes Sci-fi, she's motherly...and a lesbian," Shooti mutters that to himself, which makes Bel stop walking and tighten her grip on Shooti's hand. Shooti winces. "I mean, I have nothing wrong with people like that! Don't take it the wrong way, please. It's just...unexpected and out there compared to knowing that your best friend is a walking dead now."

Bel loosens her grip and turns to Shooti, her face neither showcasing fury nor sorrow. After a second, she notes, "Kamitsure-san and Korni-san are lucky…"

"Lucky that they get to be together even though they're undead?"

"Lucky that they found each other, lucky to have a chance in love as they are right now I...I never had that opportunity back when I was alive.."

 _The two begin to walk again, but Bel's cheerful swinging of arms has vanished. All the same, the boy squeezes her hand as a sign of comfort, as a way of saying "I am here for you". The boy knows that no one held her hand as she died. In her eyes, she died alone without anyone who truly loved her there for her. Here, the boy is making the statement that, no matter what state she's in, he is there and he will not leave._

"Bel...just how long have Kamitsure and Korni been together?"

"They were together about two years before I was reborn."

"And...how long have you…"

Bel suddenly stops once more. "We're here."

Shooti looks up and sees that they are now in front of Bel's room, with the symbol of a hummingbird engraved on it. Bel raises her arm to the door, the mark of a hummingbird glowing violet before the door slides open. When the door slides all the way, Shooti sees a bedroom with a color scheme of orange, green and white. Orange walls, a bed with orange bed sheets and green pillows, a bookshelf painted orange with green leaves and white flowers, a desk with an orange lamp, a phonograph to the side on a cute green stool...it all just has a warm, loving glow to it.

"This is your room?" asks Shooti, looking around.

"Yep!" Bel says, dragging Shooti inside. "What do you think?"

Shooti takes a minute to take in the details, especially the variety of vinyl records on the bottom shelf of her bookshelf, and the bead curtain that covers her bed. "It's so...you."

At this, Bel blushes. "Y...you think so? I've never had a guy tell that to me before…"

 _Despite Bel's undead status, she was still just a girl; a girl who would forever_ be _a girl and never experience the idea of finding her true love and live happily ever after._

"I think you're just….you," Shooti elaborates. "This girl who decided to take life, er un-life, into her own hands and find out who she is despite what everyone tells her. I mean, going into an underground show for one performance art act that could've had you mauled to death? Standing up to your father like that? And now...now you go after souls filled with greed. I...I'd break just from the first part…"

"...You think so?"

Shooti smiles. "I know so."

At this, Bel returns the smile with one that brightens up her face. Shooti cannot help but want to take a photo of this Bel...but knows that taking the photo without permission is disrespectful. Instead he seats himself at the edge of Bel's bed as Bel practically skips to her bookshelf and crouches on the bottom shelf, fingers flying through numerous records as she pulls one and inspects the album image before shoving it back.

As she does this, Shooti looks at the orange wallpaper, seeing the imagery of hummingbirds painted with so much detail, it is as if they would come to life if Shooti willed it do. There are hummingbirds in flight and hummingbirds sipping nectar out of flowers. There is also a large purple hummingbird glyph painted on the ceiling, casting an ominous feeling of dread down Shooti's spine. It is as if he is being watched.

Shooti calmly pulls out his camera once more and takes his photos. It may seen mundane to photograph bedrooms, but each of them show an aspect related to its respective Dark Signer that no one else knows about. For all he knows. Shooti maybe the first reporter to actively research these mysterious beings.

"So…" he says. "Your Earthbound Immortal is a Hummingbird, huh?"

"Yep," Bel answers, nodding her head. "And don't think that these birds are weak just because they're small; they can be pretty nasty when provoked."

"Ah. So Bel...have you ever…"

"Yeah, I fed on sin before," Bel answers, not even looking at Shooti as she pulls out a record from the bookshelf, _Please Please Me_ by The Beatles. She pulls out the vinyl record out, inspects it, then flips it over. "You should try a more creative question."

"Okay…" Shooti thinks for a few seconds before asking, "So, who was the first person you fed on here in Domino?"

This makes Bel pause before she swiftly asks, "You know those three teens?"

"Which three?"

"The ones known as Yugi Muto, Jounouchi Katsuya and Honda Hiroto."

 _Know them? How does a duelist in Domino City_ not _know the names of two of its greatest duelists and one of the city's first ever Duel Riders?_

Bel approaches her record player, sets the record onto its proper place, and then gently places the needle on the slowly spinning record. Then, there is the sound of a guitar, and George Harrison's voice croons,

" _You never know how much I really love you…_

 _You never know how much I really care…"_

Bel bobs her head to "Do You Want to Know a Secret?" as Shooti feels his cheeks turn red at what the song lyrics imply, imagining Bel asking him that very question, his heart beating rapidly at how that would play out. Especially when he hears the lines "I'm in love with you".

"Well," says Bel, ignoring Shooti's blushing face. "Everyone knows how close those three can be. But, do you know the story as to _how_ they became friends?"

Shooti shakes his head; to him, and to most of the other students at DCIS, it always seemed as if those three were friends since the very beginning.

"Jounochi and Honda always picked on Yugi under the pretense in trying to make a Yugi a man," Bel explains. "This caught the eye of the Hall Monitor, Ushio Tetsu (no relation to that Security Officer, Trudge) who, as a 'favor' to Yugi, 'punished' the two trouble-makers by beating the ever-loving shit out of then and tried to tempt Yugi into dishing out his frustration against the two. Most people would have taken up in that type of offer; Yugi wasn't like that at all."

"Instead, he told Ushio that Jounochi and Honda were teaching him to be a man, actually _defending_ them even despite all the bullying hey put him through. Ushio, as you may have noticed, didn't like this at all, and delivered a kick to Yugi's ribs, telling Yugi that he needed to pay a sum of ¥200,000 for that service."

Shooti stays quiet as he takes it all in; he knows that there is no way Yugi could have that type of money at the time. "So…how do you fit in all if this?"

As "A Taste of Honey" plays, Bel smiles. "I can smell the allure of Greed a mile away. I was actually listening in on the conversation the minute I sensed Ushio's greedy soul, and followed Yugi back to the Kame Game Shop, before I called Ushio and asked him to meet in front of the DCIS campus later that night."

"But there's no way Ushio would accept your challenge. Unless…"

Bel giggles. "My time as a Dark Signer gave me the power to cast glamour spells, making me appear 'normal' or even take on the appearance of anyone I wanted, voice and all. However, I decided to go the extra mile and project an image of Yugi that looked like...well...like this!"

She closes her eyes as an orange magic circle forms beneath her feet. Then, it rises, transforming Bel's cloak into the standard male DCIS school uniform, the blue jacket flaring out for dramatic effect, along with a studded leather choker and matching spiky bracelets. She gives herself the face of a slightly older Yugi Muto with fierce crimson eyes and even has Yugi's signature spiky hairdo, but with three additional lightning bolts sticking out. Shooti looks in awe as Bel twirls around and winks, a sign that says it's okay to photograph her.

Shooti immediately takes two snapshots as Bel sits down next to him and his heart beats against his chest. He has to admit that this type of Yugi Muto is quite handsome, even if it's just Bel under some sort of glamour spell.

"And thus," Bel speaks in a deep baritone voice (which momentarily catches Shooti off guard). "I challenged Ushio to a Shadow Game: in my hand was an envelope containing ¥400,000 and we would place the money on the backs of our hands and stab as much as we could with a knife. Whoever stabbed the most - without stabbing ourselves in the process - would win.

"Even with this 'form' that you see in front of you, stabbing a knife through numerous bills is no easy task, especially when a Shadow Game reveals the true nature of a person's soul. Fortunately, since I had grown up without desiring material goods, I didn't need to worry of the shadows. Ushio, however, was not that lucky.

"We were down to the last ¥50,000 when he tried to stab it. His knife hand started to tremble, even though he knew that doing so meant stabbing himself. I had warned him of such a thing, that this represent the greed carried deep within his heart, but he didn't listen and tried to stab me with that knife. Ha." Bel laughs. "By trying to attack me, he had lost the game and had to be punished.

"I grasped onto the knife and used it as a conductor to absorb all of his avarice and turn it into energy. And any excess greed leftover transformed into a Greed Gem…" Bel picks up a jewelry box, with a hummingbird as the lock, on her bedside table and opens it. "Like this."

 _The boy's jaw drops at the amount of gemstones in the box. Bel could probably buy a_ mansion _with that type of money. Perhaps she helped buy this mansion (and all her assorted furniture) just from one or two gems alone._

"And when I finished," Bel adds. "Ushio's punishment was this: the first was an illusion of Greed; he would see ordinary trash and leaves as if they were cash.

"And the second one? Well, his soul was consumed by greed, so what would happen if _he_ were to be consumed by a being of _greater_ greed than him?"

"And...what type of being would that be?" Shooti asks hesitantly.

Through her guise of a red-eyed Yugi Muto, Bel smirks. "...a dragon."

 _Of course. Dragons are known for amassing various amounts of gold, jewels and treasure. A man who is so consumed with greed be defeated by one of them makes sense._

"Of course, he wasn't _really_ devoured by a dragon, but in his mind he was. Last I heard, he was sent to a mental health center, but he can only be cured if he gets rid of his desires.

"And as for Yugi and Jounochi and Honda, they became the best of friends, oblivious to the person who brought retribution upon this greedy hall monitor, none the wiser."

Shooti looks in awe and fear as he hears John Lennon sing "Twist and Shout" and Bel picks up a piece of jewelry from her box: a signet ring with a large emerald stamped with the image of a winged serpent in the center. She then slips the ring onto Shooti's right ring finger.

"Take it," she says. "I can make more of them if I choose."

 _The boy looks in shock and amazement at the ring, looking at his hand at different angles and seeing the winged serpent, for a moment, hiss at him._

"You really don't have to do this…" Shooti mutters, attempting to pull the ring off of his finger. Seconds pass, but he finds that it's now stuck to his finger. "Um, is this supposed to clamp onto my finger?"

"Oh, sorry about that," says Bel, lightly tapping the side of her head with a fist. "I enchant some of my jewelry with different abilities. This one is used as bait for a greedy soul and sucks the avarice out of it. The greedier a person is, the more paralyzed they should feel, until they find themselves encased in a gemstone cocoon for their sin."

"Tell me, Shooti...what exactly do you desire?"

Shooti looks around the room, unsure what to say. He can feel his finger stiffen as the ring starts to glow. Bel's smile doesn't help matters; Shooti cannot tell whether it's a teasing grin or a sadistic smirk.

"I...I want to follow in my brother's footsteps," Shooti begins. "I want to be able to report on some of the crazier things that happens in Domino. I would one day like to have a job in _Chasing Shadows_. I want to uncover a huge scoop like the one that my brother may or not have a connection to.

"And Bel, I want...you."

Bel blinks as Shooti suddenly feels like a weight is lifted off his chest. Shooti pants and places a hand to his heart all while Bel asks (still in that glamour of Yugi Muto), "Me?"

Shooti nods his head. "I..I don't know why, but when I first saw you at Satisfaction Town, I didn't know what happened but it's like...like I _had_ to be with you. When you showed up at school today and how we're getting to know each other...I felt so different.

"Of course, I know you just want me here because I'm 'needed' for something special. But...for as long as you want me, I want to know you better. Please…" Shooti stands up and slips a hand into Bel's own. "I want to know why I have these feelings for you...and I want to do what I can to help you, to help the Dark Signers, help Jun...help find my brother…" He lowers his voice as he says this. "Will you let me in?"

Bel looks back at Shooti's grey eyes before she smiles.

"Yes."

 _It is like a love confession, what the boy said. But if the boy could be honest, there is something about Bel that's so... different from the rest. And it isn't just because she is undead. It is like how one could try different brands of a product to figure out which one was right for them._

 _But, like all love confessions go, someone was there to kill the mood._

"Bel! What's going on in there? You're supposed to be…"

Shooti and Bel turn to see a teenage girl in a white dress with red trim and black bike shorts underneath the skirt, along with matching white and red roller skates. Her lemon colored hair is pulled into a high ponytail and her bangs stick out of the holes of her grey helmet. The newcomer stares at the two in shock, mouth open to say something, then closes it, before she bursts out in laughter.

"Gotta say, Bel," she guffaws. "I never thought you'd be into that kinda stuff!"

"It's just for an explanation!" Bel exclaims, the words and her voice clashing. This causes the older girl to laugh even louder as she skates towards Shooti, shaking his hand.

"Heya!" says the roller skating girl in a chipper voice. "The name is Korni; nice to meet ya!"

"...Korni, huh?" says Shooti, pulling his hand away. "The one who is engaged to Kamitsure-san? The one who resurrected my best friend, Jun?"

"Mm-hmm!" Korni answers with a nod of her head. "He's my Acolyte, ready to go when it's time for me to pass the torch." She tilts her head from side to side as she takes good notes at Shooti's attire. "So, you're Shooti, right? Well, I think…"

She doesn't get to finish her sentence as Shooti brings his arm back and socks her right in the face, hard enough for her to fall to the ground with a yelp. Bel gasps as Shooti pants, hand curled into a fist as he looks down at Korni, staring at her eye-to-eye.

"You…" he snarls, gnashing his teeth. "You're the one who told Jun to jump in front of a train, right?"

Korni sits up, placing a hand where Shooti punched her, before sighing.

"No, that wasn't me," she answers. "It was Wataru-san who requested that Jun infiltrate the group who would jump off that train and Jun himself was nervous about the entire thing." Korni shakes her head. "I felt his screams in my head before those students leapt, how scared he was before…"

She lets the sentence hang there as Shooti pushes back the image of his best friend's body being torn apart underneath the train, blood spraying over the windows, much to the surprise of confused and horrified passengers and the screams of bystanders as everything goes to Hell. Bel, now back to her true form as a young girl, approaches him and hugs him from behind.

"...Why?" asks Shooti. "Why would Jun agree to do something like this?!"

"That is something you'd have to ask him about," Korni answers. "So, you're getting a grand tour of our humble abode, right?"

"That's the idea," says Bel. "He wants to help us in our mission to uncover the mysteries of Domino Haikyo."

"Ah, I see. Well," Korni clears her throat (which, as an Undead being, it is completely unnecessary). "I think it would be best if you have a bit of a breather in my room before you continue. Then, I can at least tell you the story as to how I met Jun. Would that satisfy your curiosity?"

 _A story would never make up for the fact that the boy lost his best friend. It certainly does not make him feel better about how said friend is currently nothing more than a blood covered armless, legless faceless thing that loved RPGs, running, and banana bread._

 _Still, this was important. The boy needed to know how it all came to be._

"Go on," says Bel, gently patting Shooti's shoulder. "Take as much time as you need, okay? And if you need me, well I'm always close by."

Shooti turns to her and nods his head, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart when Bel steps back. Then, he turns to Korni, determination in his eyes as he tells her,

"Tell me everything."


	4. Five Characters in Search of an Exit

_**Searching for the truth is like excavation work.**_

 _ **You have to dig deeper and deeper into the core of what you want to obtain, risking life and limb to get what you want. It is risky business, but what is life without a little risk?**_

 _ **And the rewards for all this hard work? Well, it varies.**_

 _ **The truth can be pretty horrible, and the treasures you dig up can actually produce more harm than good.**_

 _ **But you still search, you still work for it, giving up safety for glory, comfort for riches, all for a little something that glitters but is not gold. Because the revolution will not be televised and the truth will not remain silent for very long.**_

 _ **Despite my discomfort, I had a mission to fulfill...to uncover the truth and treasure that were the stories of the Dark Signers and how they were interwoven into my life.**_

 _ **And all of the blood, sweat and tears that I would shed throughout this investigation, in order to pursue something so important to me and me alone...my reward for this pursuit of nothing but the truth would eventually get to the point where I just dug my own grave…**_

 _ **...If only life had safety nets.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **2nd Shot (Part 2)**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Five Characters in Search of an Exit**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _The boy says goodbye to Bel and follows the third Dark Signer towards her room. Despite the fact that Korni could easily skate the two of them there, she instead removes said skates and walks barefoot down the hall, quiet and looking as if she is concentrating on a complicated math problem..._

 _Which reminds the boy that he has math homework (converting fractions, decimals and percentages to one or the other like alchemical transfusion)_ _waiting for him when he gets home. As if the boy can be so interested in something like_ that _when the most important moment of his life has appeared right before his eyes._

"So, Korni," says Shooti, breaking the silence. The hall is lined with iron sconces in the shape of lilies with yellow flames burning bright. "Bel has told me about the type of abilities you guys have, but I was wondering... Do you, um, feel pain even though you…"

Korni stops walking and sighs. Then after a second, she punches the wall, causing the manor to tremble and Shooti to step back. When Korni retracts her hand, there is now a medium-sized crater on the wall. She looks at her bruised knuckles before shaking her head.

"We don't physically feel, but…" Korni tilts her head back at Shooti. "Have you ever seen that Tim Burton film? The one where Johnny Depp rehearsed his wedding rites and slipped the ring on an innocently looking branch?"

"Oh! _Corpse Bride_!" Shooti answers, grey eyes bright as he places his arms in front of him. "I've watched it three times already! It's so beautiful and melancholic! Full of German Expressionism and tragic romance not unlike-"

"Remember that song Emily sings halfway into the movie?" Korni interrupts. "When her friends try to tell her that she's absolutely miles beyond plain Victoria, but she responds with…"

Korni pauses before she takes a deep breath. Her voice echoes across the hall as she sings,

" _If I touch a burning candle, I can feel no pain._

 _In the ice and in the sun it's all the same..._

 _And I know my heart is breaking, even though it isn't aching..._

 _Yet the pain here that I feel, try and tell me it's not real._

" _I know that I am dead..._

" _But it seems as if I have some tears to shed…"_

Shooti stays quiet as Korni exhales, looking a bit embarrassed to ask such a personal question, awkwardly fidgeting at a stray thread hanging from the sleeve of his jacket and pulling it out before pocketing it. Then, he hears a clap as Korni turns to him.

"Well, enough gloom," she says, her face now bright and cheery. "To my room we go!"

She grabs Shooti by the arm and they run down the hall, take two lefts until they find themselves in front of Korni's room, marked with a large monkey glyph, five seconds later. Korni smiles as she raises her arm to the air, her purple monkey mark glowing as the door opens. Then, Korni hurls Shooti onto her bed, which he lands with an "oof" amongst a variety of pillows.

Korni approaches a table where an electric kettle, some tea cups, a basket of teabags and a radio sit. She turns the radio on as a song begins to play.

" _Under the tree where the grass don't grow_

 _We made a promise to never get old…"_

"Avicii, huh?" says Shooti, sitting himself up. "I thought you'd be into Coldplay."

"Why would you…Oh, haha very funny," says Korni with a roll of her eyes. She picks up a tea kettle. "You want jasmine or oolong?"

"No thanks, I have water on me," Shooti answers, pulling out the water bottle from his satchel. As he opens his bottle, he takes a better look at the room. On the white walls are words and phrases scribbled in black permanent marker and a large outline of a raven drawn above and around three large mirrors. There is a lava lamp at the corner where various jackets and other articles of clothing are piled up like a pyramid. Korni has propped her roller skates by the door and unstrapped her helmet which she tosses onto a fuzzy chair without a care in the world.

Shooti begins his round of photo taking, wishing that his camera spits out Polaroids instead of having everything saved in an SD card. He wonders how much money he would have to spend to get these photos developed.

"My room ain't much, but I don't spend a lot of time here anyways," says Korni, pouring herself a cup of hot water. "I'm always on some sort of job helping people Domino Below, work at a suicidal hotline, or I go give people hugs for about an hour."

"Hugging is a business now?" asks Shooti.

"There are a lot of people who live alone and would like someone to comfort them," Korni elaborates, dropping a tea bag into her mug. "And for one hour a day, I can lift someone's spirits and perhaps feed on their despair if need be."

"Despair? I thought the sin of Sloth was for being lazy."

"Well in the olden days, if you were so full of despair then there would be no room in your minds to do good honest work. And despair used to be considered the unofficial eighth sin before the Church decided to mix that and laziness together and call it a day."

Korni picks up her mug and then walks towards the bed, where she seats herself down and blows off the steam. Shooti pulls out an onigiri from his bag.

"It's salted plum inside," he says. "Not my favorite filling but…"

"Ooh...my favorite!" Korni exclaims, unwrapping it and then taking a big bite. "You're such a sweetheart, you know?"

"Yeah, my mom calls me that too whenever I make her lunch."

"Oh really now? What's her name?"

"Saya, like that visual novel."

"Eh? You actually play that game? _Saya_ _no_ _Uta_ is hella freaky if you ask me."

"No, but my mom told me that story once when she came home from…" Shooti pauses. "'Hella freaky?' Wait, does that mean you…"

"Oh, someone knows _Life is Strange_!" Korni chuckles, lightly punching Shooti in the arm. "I didn't know a kid like you was allowed to play that game!"

"I'm not. I play it with my babysitter whenever she comes to keep an eye on me." Shooti raises his arms in the air. "Ooh, the music, the gameplay, the graphics...everything about Arcadia Bay just screams majesty! I would love to go there just to photograph the place!"

"Same here, except I would be more into roller skating across the beach and watching the magnificent sunsets. Now, be honest, did you decide to kill Chloe in the alternate timeline or…"

Korni stops when she notices how Shooti looks at his feet, his wide-eyed expression now one of sadness. She takes another bite of the onigiri as the last part of the song plays.

" _These are the days we've been waiting for  
Neither of us knows what's in store  
You just roll your window down and place your bets  
These are the days we won't regret  
These are the days we'll never forget"_

As the song finishes, and "Wake Me Up" by Avicii starts a minute later, Korni sighs as Shooti wipes a tear from his eye.

"It all started with an open challenge from the Security officer, Armstrong," she begins. "Jun's father was sick and tired of that monstrous oaf and headed off to challenge him in the place known as The Facility. Jun was excited to see his dad in action, and then that's where things went wrong.

"Joining them on their trip to Domino Below was this kid known as Tokunosuke Omoteura. Everyone who knew him called him by his nickname 'Flip Turner'. Ever heard of him?"

"I dueled him once back at the Domino School Festival last semester," Shooti answers. "Well, that was when he dressed up as a girl and proclaimed to be a 'big fan' of mine...or rather, of my brother. He wanted to duel me and...well, let's just say that he learned the hard way why _not_ to piss off a guy who uses a Batteryman deck."

 _That was a very long and annoying duel due to that jerk's Flip Effect monsters (and the boy thought Serena's Ghostrick monsters were annoying, especially that Ghostrick-Go-Round card that flips monsters around without a care in the world). Not even a minute after it ended, Flip "flipped" and tried to sic his lackeys on the boy. Fortunately, Akari Tsukumo, close reporting friend to Carly who was there to cheer on her younger brother, came to break it up._

 _Some time later, Yuma, Akari's brother, somehow managed to befriend Tokunosuke, even though the boy feels like he doesn't deserve it. Then again, if Gentaro Kisaragi would befriend the guy who tried to use the delinquent as a shield, Yuma befriending a cheat wouldn't be as surprising._

"Then you know how Tokunosuke has a special philosophy about life. 'Everything has a dual nature.' People and things have two sides of them, and Kurotsugu knew that when he specifically asked the kid to join them. Jun, however, just believed that brat's lie on being a huge fan on Kurotsugu and let it be.

"When they finally made it to the Facility, Armstrong was adamant on wanting to have Kurotsugu subservient to him. This was all while Tokunosuke was buttering Armstrong up to the point that I would have thrown up at all of the prose spewed out of the boy's mouth. Not to mention showing Armstrong his own deck of Effect monsters.

"Half an hour later, the duel (which was to ensure the freedom of some innocent inmates falsely accused of smuggling cards into the Facility) was underway with the condition of both duelists equipped with shock collars that would put a shock to their system whenever one of them took damage. Of course, Armstrong rigged it so that only Kurotsugu got shocked, cheater that he is and always will be.

"The duel continued, with Armstrong trying to mill Kurotsugu to end the Battle. Just as Armstrong was about to win, there was a blackout. And when the lights came back on, Kurotsugu obtained a clutch victory and the inmates were free to go.

"Jun was happy as can be; his father had won through thick and thin and Armstrong was going to be out of job. But as Jun was celebrating, he noticed how his father was thanking Tokunosuke about something regarding card tricks and the like. And that's when Jun learned the truth.

"Armstrong's fall came from Tokunosuke tampering with that deck earlier on by slipping a stray card into the Duel Disk when Armstrong was busy snorting nose hairs at someone, and how his father held an ace up his sleeve during the blackout caused by some of the inmates who were sick and turned of Armstrong's tyranny (and because Armstrong was using the security cameras to cheat). Jun was crushed to learn that his father, an honorable man, would fight dirty; his father always did the right thing, no matter the odds. Kurotsugu defended himself by saying that it had to be done, and Tokunosuke just stated his 'philosophy' on everyone's dual nature in that desperate times came for these desperate measures. After all, Samurai Jack (whom Jun is a big fan of) also fought dirty when push came to shove.

"Jun didn't want to hear any of this and ran off, Tokunosuke close behind. It was there that Jun bumped into an irate Armstrong, who accused Jun of tampering with the deck due to Armstrong 'seeing' his silhouette. Jun tried to tell the truth, but that oaf wouldn't take any of it. And as for Tokunosuke…

"Well, coward that he was and always will be, ran away, leaving Jun to his fate of being strangled to death with an iron chain and beaten until all the wind was knocked out of him. Jun didn't die with honor at all; he died for nothing."

Shooti grips onto his water bottle as the song has changed to "The Nights" and Korni looks up at the ceiling, where the glyph of a monkey observes them.

"That's where I came in, after Armstrong panicked and tried to hide the body, or at least make it look like Jun hanged himself. I had a job there delivering care packages for inmates with families and saw Jun's body swinging on a pipe. Using my powers, I was able to revive the boy and make him my Acolyte of Despair for Cusillu (my Earthbound Immortal) found his energy to be a perfect balance to the sin I so often feed upon."

Shooti stays still, not even bothering to write the story down as he tries to avoid imagining what his friend looked like while he died. He can't even fathom that his best friend is dead, due to how Jun always kept that grin on his face and never seemed to look like he carried emotional baggage in him.

As he contemplates this, he feels a pair of arms wrapped around him. Shooti turns to see Korni hugging him, sighing in relief as her body radiates with a lemon yellow aura. In fact, just by being wrapped up in this hug, Shooti finds himself not feeling as heartbroken about Jun's death than before.

"That feel better?" asks Korni.

"...It does," Shooti answers, relaxing into the hug a bit more. Now if it was only Bel that was hugging him...

Three minutes later, Korni releases Shooti from the hug as she places a hand on her forehead. "I just got news from Jun." she says. "He's fully conscious again and sobbing his eyes out."

"Really?!" ask Shooti, pulling his phone out. A few taps later, he pulls out a news article about a survivor, quickly scanning how it involves his friend being the only survivor of this suicide stunt. "Jun…"

"I have to take this call now and I don't wanna tell Jun that you're here...well, not yet, anyway," says Korni, taking a sip of her tea. She winces as she watches Shooti stand up, eyes locked on the article. "If you wanna continue your little tour here, take a left and keep walking till you find the door marked with a lizard. Oh, and make sure you knock before entering. Nagi might be getting 'ready' for work."

"Are you sure?" asks Shooti. "I mean, I...I didn't even get to know you."

"Ah, that can be for later. You're still young; you have plenty of time to dig up any dirt about me in the future."

 _Oh how the boy wishes that Korni didn't tempt fate so easily when she said that._

"Come on, don't look so glum," says Korni. "Let's take a photo, 'kay?"

Shooti has no time to answer as Korni grabs his arm and lifts the camera into the air. Then, with a _ch'csh_ , the photo is taken.

"Hmm…" says Korni, seeing the photo. "Oh, it looks fantastic! Now, get going...you won't get to know us better if you stand still and all!"

"Okay then," says Shooti. "Oh and Korni?"

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks for telling me about Jun."

Korni pauses before she smiles. "Ah, no prob. It was the least I can do."

Shooti nods his head before he wraps his arms around Korni for a second or two before heading off. A part of him wants to cry in her arms at everything he has heard, but he ignores the feeling...it would not do him any good while he is in the abode of the Dark Signers.

As he walks down the hall, he slips his phone back inside, glad that he has not received a message of any kind since he left the apartment, and pulls out the notepad and pen, doing his best to scribble down everything he has learned. The only noises during this time are his pen furiously writing a basic summary of Korni's story and his footsteps across the silent hall.

He is so caught up in his writing, that he doesn't even know that he's walked past the door with the lizard until he hears a voice that says, "Over here, little boy."

Shooti looks up and looks around. The yellow light has now become a cool lime green, with the sconces now shaped like leaves. He takes three steps back to see the door with the lizard mark on it before approaching it, knocking on it three times.

"Hello?" he asks tentatively. "Is this the room of Nagi?"

"This is she," the voice answers back. "I take it that Korni sent you?"

"Yes, she did. Uh, is it safe for me to come in?"

There is silence before the door slowly opens. When it slides in all the way, Shooti can only open his mouth at what he sees.

It is a model, no, a goddess that has to be standing in front of him. Her hair and eyes a pale lavender color, her skin the color of alabaster, her shimmering sky blue tunic accessorized with golden bracelets and anklets depicting a white feather on them. She is as beautiful as a nymph, the envy of all other women everywhere.

Nagi tilts her head as Shooti looks close enough to faint. Instead, he slaps himself and shakes his head.

"That...that was rude of me to stare," he stammers. "I... it's just...I wanted to…"

Nagi chuckles. "Take a photo if you like and show it to your girlfriend if you want. I wonder how envious she would be to know that you found yourself in the midst of a beauty like me."

She turns away as Shooti follows her in. He looks around, seeing the color scheme of white and green like something out of the jungle. The green and white silk sheets like a canopy, the bamboo green walls, the blue-green carpet like a river...it reminds him of a documentary about the rainforest he saw at school once.

He brings out his camera to photograph it all, only to be surprised when he finds Nagi lying on the bed with a regal smile on her face, like many a model from a magazine centerfold.

"Go on," she croons. "Take one…"

With trembling hands, Shooti takes one photo - and only one - before he begins to take his photos of the room. As he observes a small shrine at the corner, which shows a platter of fruit, lit incense sticks and a small statue of a bird of paradise, he hears a lovely song being played out from a Bluetooth speaker, the female voice making him feel so light with her bright and airy notes.

"Goldfrapp," Nagi explains as she hums along. "The single is Black Cherry. Quite lovely, don't you think?"

"Y...yeah, lovely…" Shooti answers, stretching his collar out. "So Nagi, I assume you feed on Envy."

"Why yes," Nagi answers, spritzing herself with a splash of perfume. "How did you figure that out so easily?

Shooti looks all around him, seeing the decor colored in various shades of green like Nagi has just returned from a shopping trip in the Emerald City. "Oh, it wasn't _that_ hard."

Nagi chuckles as she looks at her reflection in the mirror. "You know, a lot of people tend to mix up 'envy' and 'jealousy'. Envy is when you want something another person has while jealousy is you afraid of losing something you possess."

"I see…"

As the Goldfrapp song continues, Shooti then takes note of a deck of cards on the table out in the open. One card sits next to an earring rack; Quill Pen of Gulldos.

"You duel in your spare time?" asks Shooti.

"Well, 'spare time' is mostly when my company, _Seventh Tree_ , wants me to advertise their 'wares' out to the public." Nagi explains. "I have competed in a few local tournaments, though."

She points to a wall where a few medals are hanging on a collection of hooks. From what is seen, she mostly placed 2nd, but there are one or two gold medals shining in the light.

"And I take it that you use Wind Attribute monsters, right?" asks Shooti.

"Correct."

"Ah. So, I guess you're into graceful monsters like the Harpy La-"

Shooti never finishes that sentence when he sees a dagger thrown directly at him. He dodges just in time to find the dagger now embedded to a poster of famed duelist Mai Kujaku, stabbing one of the blond woman's orchid eyes. Nagi doesn't even turn to a frightened Shooti, still staring at the mirror while she places some lipstick on.

"Please do not make the assumption that just because I use monsters of the Wind attribute, I automatically gravitate towards those provocative…Harpies." Nagi states, setting her lipstick down and exchanging it for a tube of mascara. "For the record, I use Gusto monsters."

"Oh…."

Shooti says nothing else, not even as Nagi's playlist begins its next song ("Time Out From the World"). Nagi, in the meantime, winks to herself before seating herself on the bed.

Shooti moves out of the way as Nagi lays back. "So...what do you do for a living?"

Nagi turns to him and smiles, her lips covered in a pink shimmery lip gloss. "I'm a model."

"Oh really? What...type of model?"

Nagi says nothing as she motions to a laptop with a camera attached to it, running a hand through her long pale lavender hair. It then takes Shooti a few seconds for him to realize what type of "modeling" Nagi is involved in.

"You're... you're…" Shooti stammers out, face turning red. "Um, this is...ah…I"

"I am _not_ the type of women who spreads her legs online," Nagi sternly states. "And this is just a side job compared to my usual duties.

"Now, I suggest you hide in my wardrobe for the next few minutes until I say the phrase 'Melancholy Sky'. That means that my session is up, okay?"

Shooti nods his head as he walks to the (surprisingly large) wardrobe and opens it. He takes one look at Nagi slowly removing her dress before he enters it and closes the doors shut, praying that this is the last time he has to be in a situation like this tonight. He waits for a few seconds before pulling out his cellphone, about to log onto _Chasing Shadows._

However, after a thought, he decides to go to Domino-Haikyo, his mind not wanting to go through numerous eye witness accounts or hearing what Carly has to write about this travesty. After entering the URL, he watches the loading wheel spin before being greeted with the 25 dots from earlier today ("A sign," Bel noted back at lunch). His heart pounds in his chest as he imagines what Jun must have felt seeing them at lunch, knowing that in just a few hours he was going to end up as a statistic amongst the rest of the ever eager/frightened/despairing collection of teens that decided to end it all via run-over by train.

But just Shooti clicks the link to enter the site, he hears a loud voice from Nagi's laptop.

"...and ever since she's gone to chase shadows, my newspaper has lost viewership, the reporters I hired are utterly incompetent, and I haven't had a decent cup of coffee in months!"

Shootics eyes widen in surprise as he opens the wardrobe just a bit. From the crack, he sees Nagi's back facing him and on the laptop is a man in his 40's, drinking a tiny glass of sake while spewing out his troubles to the Dark Signer.

"Oh my," Nagi's syrupy voice states. "And is that all that troubles you?"

The man scowls. "The worst part of it all is what she said just before she left. 'I would never recommend this job to anyone I know! Because working for you, sir, is like working in the pits!'" The man hiccups. "So now everyone calls me by that despicable nickname 'Mr. Pitts'! Don't you see? My reputation is ruined."

And Nagi just watches Mr. Pitts bawl in front of her, while Shooti hears the older man drown his sorrows in alcohol and an undead model, not sure whether to feel disgusted or awkward at the scenario.

 _Mr. Pitts...the boy knows this man very well._

 _Okay, not_ very _well, but Carly has told the boy a lot about her job "working" under Mr. Pitts as an unpaid intern getting coffee whenever he was in one of his moods (which was all the time) and always demanding that she obtained the most expensive coffees in town (like the famous Blue Eyes Mountain coffee that costs a whopping ¥30,000!)_

 _It was when Mr. Pitts refused to publish an article Carly wrote in regards to the underground dueling clubs in Domino Below (deciding that an article about Seto Kaiba and an incident regarding mushroom soup was more newsworthy) and a kiss-up who "blew steam up Mr. Pitts' ass" that she decided to quit and work on a Street Duel blog that would eventually bring her to the most important things in her life: meeting the boy, and the opportunity to an internship at_ Chasing Shadows.

 _Of course, getting a job at that website isn't easy. In order to obtain it, Carly dueled against an opponent who could see into a person's future and execute them before they could become criminals, saving a young child from becoming a dark force of insanity and ensuring the seer that the child would have a bright future. Carly never revealed that child's name out of privacy, but the boy always wondered who this child was and whether or not he knew them._

 _The boy observes Mr. Pitts and his rant as Nagi takes the time to "expose" her body towards the irate and idiotic man, waiting for the password to get out. But as the boy waits, and Mr. Pitts becomes more and more irate, it gets harder and harder to sit still._

"And I bet Carly had to blow steam up whoever gave her that job up in the ass in order to spite me!" Mr. Pitts snaps. "After all I did for her, this is how she repays me?!"

"You never even paid her in the first place!"

Nagi and Mr. Pitts turn to see Shooti emerging from the wardrobe, panting. He then sits on the bed and leans close onto the camera.

"Carly Nagisa is one of the nicest people I know!" The boy continues. "And she wanted nothing more than to report on issues that mattered, not spending her own money to appease your own appetite for coffee, not to have all her work be tossed aside for pointless celebrity gossip and definitely not to be bossed around as someone as incompetent as you! If you're so envious about losing her, maybe you should have treated her with more respect, and maybe then you would be happy drinking at a bar instead of being alone in your cheap apartment speaking to a call girl who will never love such a stubborn brainless fool like yourself!"

Shooti pants for breath as Nagi raises an eyebrow and Mr. Pitts is speechless, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water before he growls and slams his hands on the table.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Mr. Pitts screams. "I actually have a job, compared to what you'll end up doing in ten years time! Why, if you decide to come working for me, I'll make sure to make your life twice as miserable as that nerdy bitch!"

Shooti snarls, ready to leap into wherever Mr. Pitts is at so he can bash that drunkard in the head with that sake bottle."Call Carly that again and I'll -"

"If I may interrupt," Nagi begins, her voice calm and breathy but strong enough to cause both fighters to pause. "But I am sensing a lot of hurtful feelings between you two and it is going to cast such a _Melancholy Sky_ that I won't be able to eat. Arguments upset my stomach."

Shooti blinks as Nagi gives him a sideways glance.

"What are you saying?" asks Mr. Pitts, oblivious to the change in atmosphere.

Nagi chuckles, her lavender eyes turning black and red markings of a vertical line and two horizontal ones added to it form on her cheeks.

"What the hell?" asks Mr. Pitts. "Who the...what the…"

Nagi laughs a witch's laugh. "Your face looks interesting...just so green with envy…"

Taking the hint, Shooti rushes to the door, taking one last glance at Nagi licking her lips before bolting it out of there, not even closing the door before rushing off down the hall, the green flames on the torches darkening into the color of cerulean. The only thing he can hear are the screams of the pathetic Mr. Pitts.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _The boy doesn't know how long he runs after leaving Nagi, but the more he runs, the more he realizes that he is completely lost._

 _The only thing that saves him from joining their ranks so soon is someone grabbing his jacket just before he met his end by falling chandelier._

Shooti feels someone tug his arm just as a chandelier drops in front of him, sending glass shards everywhere. He pants as he looks up above, part of a chain swinging back and forth above his head.

"Are you all right?" says a voice.

"Yeah, I will," says Shooti. "Thanks for saving me, miss…"

When he turns around, he sees a woman in her 20s with shoulder length navy blue hair and piercing red eyes. She wears a magenta top that exposes her navel, white jeans held by a simple black belt, a pair of large black and green bracelets and pink slip-on shoes. Shooti blinks before it hits him.

"You... you're…" Shooti stammers.

"Yes?" asks the woman.

"You're... you're Natsume Yochi, Magic Queen Bellelba!" Shooti exclaims, eyes bright as he placed his arms out in front once again. "From the _Mystery Doors of the Magical Land_ movies! I'm such a big fan of yours! C...can I take a photo of you?"

"No, I don't mind. Go on."

Shooti hurriedly takes his camera and shoots two photos of Natsume before nodding his head. Natsume chuckles in reply.

"I'm amazed to find such a big fan of mine tonight when I decided to take a walk," she comments. "You're...wait, don't tell me…"

Natsume closes her eyes and places her two fingers on each sides of her head as concentration. Shooti looks in curiosity before Natsume suddenly opens her eyes.

"You happen to be..Shooti Hayami, correct?" she asks.

"Uh, yeah!" says Shooti. "I can't believe it though... Natsume Yochi is a Dark Signer! It all makes so much sense now!"

"Really now?"

"Yeah! You mentioned in various interviews that most of the effects of the film's came from you, a bonafide psychic! It makes the film seem more alive than when they use wires in order to make things fly into the air. I guess being a Dark Signer gives you powers like that, huh?"

"Actually, I was born with powerful psychic abilities," Natsume explains as the two begin walking down the hall. "And when I became revived, then my powers became magnified to the point that I can peer into the future as well as I can the past."

"Really now? If you're _that_ powerful as you claim," says Shooti, folding his arms. "Can you figure out what I had for dinner last Saturday?"

Natsume stops and turns around. She closes her eyes and places her hand on Shooti's head. "Let's see...You were watching _Blade Runner_ with your babysitter and had pizza with extra cheese, bell peppers and sausage," she answers.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Shooti exclaims. "You really are psy…" He pauses and lowers his arms. "Wait a second, how did you know that I had a babysitter?"

Natsume opens her eyes, lowers her hand and smiles like someone hiding a surprise. "I have my ways."

 _The boy should have been more aware of how Natsume worded that, but instead he chalked it up to her being that powerful of a psychic and went on his way._

 _That's another mistake right there._

"I suppose you want an interview, correct?" Natsume asks as they continue to walk. "Very well, I will allow you three questions….but none of them can be about my life prior to being revived or how I died."

"I have no intention on delving into that right now," says Shooti, notepad in hand. "So…are there any websites that you like to visit? Do you have a favorite video game? Are you currently seeing someone?"

Natsume smirks. "I like reading articles on _Chasing Shadows_ from time to time. My favorite articles come from those created by CC, and my favorite article from her happens to be the one in regarding a 'Thriller Restaurant' one can enter for a bit of late night entertainment.

"Favorite game? Let's see...I find myself in love with _The World Ends With You_. In particular, I relate to Shiki Misaki the most in terms of character. Her character arc of learning to love herself for who she really is just speaks out to me, particularly that line of 'Once you see the true me, will we still be friends?' So...real…

"And yes, I currently am seeing someone...you just left her room a few minutes ago."

Shooti stops writing and bumps into Natsume as his face turns red (again!) at the implications.

"You're lesbian?!" Shooti shouts, his voice echoing across the hall before he places his hands over his mouth in embarrassment. Natsume chuckles.

"Well, _I_ am a lesbian, but Nagi considers herself as bisexual," Natsume elaborates. "Did she traumatized you with one of her calls?"

"No, but hopefully my little outburst didn't interrupt her, uh, 'feeding'."

"Judging by how loud he was screaming, I say no. Nagi loves to be dramatic; to her, a meal must be accompanied by the right 'entertainment'. Ah. And here we are."

Shooti turns and sees that they are now standing in front of a door marked with a large whale. Music ("Orinoco Flow") can be heard from the other side.

"And this is where I leave," says Natsume. "I'm glad to have found someone to make tonight's walk more... excitable."

"Yeah, I...wait!" Shooti shouts. "I forgot to ask you the most important question!"

"Yes?"

"What's your sign? And the sin you represent?"

Natsume just winks at him before she shows her arm towards Shooti. The purple outline of a human briefly appears before fading away.

"That was the mark of the Giant," Natsume explains. "And I represent the sin of List and untamed desire. List may be the weakest of the sins, but without desire nothing else can be obtained, no?"

"Ah, I see…" says Shooti, writing this all down. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Trip Deckard," Natsume laughs. "And here's a gift from me to you."

Appearing in the palm of her hand is a photograph. When Shooti takes it into his hand, he finds that it's an autographed photo of Natsume as Magic Queen Bellelba. He gasps.

"So cool!" he says, lifting his head. "Thank you, Na-"

Natsume has disappeared, leaving him all alone again.

But at this point, Shooti is just too excited with what he has learned to note the eeriness of Natsume's vanishing. Carefully slipping the photo into his satchel, he clears his throat before attempting to knock on the door…

Only for the door to slide open as a voice answers, "Welcome to Paradise!"

Shooti pokes his head inside as he sees the interior. It reminds him of the ocean, with a dark blue (indigo) color scheme and images of sea life on the walls that, if he isn't hallucinating, are actually swimming right in front of his eyes. It holds the canopy-like sheets of Nagi's room, and the ceiling a large dome where small orbs of light shine with a pearly light. There are statues of mermaids and sirens and large conch shells that act as speakers that reminds him of paintings of underwater fantasies he read through as a boy.

And the bed! If Nagi has a silk sheet to replicate a river, here the bed (shaped like a large clam shell) rests on a shallow pool of water where a person with turquoise hair rests, dressed in a white ensemble with a green shawl covering his shoulders.

Shooti takes a step across the mosaic floor and looks in awe. This is very excessive and he has to wonder how much money was used to make this room alone.

"Um," Shooti begins. "Nice to meet you?"

The person in the bed sits up and smiles. "Ah, you must be Shooti! Come in, come in and make yourself at home!"

Shooti takes a glance to his right as he sees a chair modeled after a sea anemone next to him. He seats himself down as the handsome stranger stretches his arms and stands (barefoot) in the water around his bed. Shooti can't help but photograph the person when he stretches like that, especially when the left arm of the man shows the mark of a large whale.

"Oh, where are my manners?" says the person with a mischievous wink. "I am Mikuri, Dark Signer of the Whale and the bearer of Gluttony."

Shooti raises an eyebrow at the man with slender hips and a midriff that shows no signs of fat. Mikuri notices that gaze and chuckles.

"Gluttony doesn't necessarily mean just about one's love of food," he explains. "But it is about excess, overfilling yourself with a substance to the point of damaging yourself.

"Take knowledge, for example. Oh yes learning is good, but if you waste your life on books instead of experiencing life then what good is it? There must be self-control in all things. But as long as people want and want and take caution to the wind, we will always have eyes bigger than our stomachs, no?"

"Ah, I see," says Shooti. "And, about all of this water…"

"People are like water," Mikuri explains raising a hand to the air as a stream of water follows his movements. "We move forward, flowing through life wherever the current may take us, and we do not know where we end up. And all life came from the ocean floors before they learned how to walk on two legs."

The water moves like a snake with his movements, captivating Shooti all the while. Droplets of water rise into the air and mist sprays on the boy's face as the lights cast a multitude of colors upon the two.

"I always found water to be captivating," Mikuri muses, eyes becoming as dark as the depths of the ocean. "So enthralling, so consuming...and I am getting quite hungry, you know?"

"Well, I don't have a gourmet meal in my bag, but I do have some onigiri," says Shooti, pulling out two rice balls from his bag. "I hope they are sufficient."

"They are perfect!" Mikuri exclaims, taking both into his hands. He takes a bite out of one and sighs. "Don't let my looks fool you, but I do enjoy the simple things like time to time. In fact, I remember a time that I grew up eating homemade onigiri with my friend Siebold."

"Siebold?"

"He's a well-known chef in Hokkaido with his magnificent restaurant known as 'Splendid Venus'," Mikuri explains, stepping down. "It opened just a few months before I was sleeping with fishes. His poor heart broke when he heard of my passing."

"You sound as if you and he were…"

"Siebold has a sweetheart, but no, we never went there," Mikuri sighs. "And my heart belongs to a precious pearl who knows of my fate and will always pine for me until we both reunite at the Gates of Hamunaptra."

"Oh? Who would that be?"

Mikuro smiles. "The ocean gem of the eternal waters of my soul is Daigo Tsuwabuki, the heir to Devon Corp."

"Devon Corp.?" Shooti repeats. "The mining and jewel business?"

"Of course!" Mikuri answers, observing the ring on Shooti's finger. "It is through my connection with him that we can sell the precious gems Bel procures when she feeds. It is also how she can easily obtain more sweets to snack on since gems are such a rare commodity for someone to pay their own arm and leg for such a thing."

"Oh. And did you and Daigo…."

"Daigo and I tried after I revealed myself to him," Mikuro notes with a hint of melancholy. "I wanted to go further, but he broke it off. He didn't want me to be heartbroken over how I would never age and have a normal life, but he promised that he would live for me and that he would never love anyone else other than me. Such loyalty...

"Last we talked, he recently adopted two boys: one whose soul is like a rainbow, the other who represents how gentle the darkness can be for those who are brave enough to pursue it." Mikuri sighs, shaking his head as a tear falls down a turquoise eye. "Perhaps, in another time, Johan and Judai could have been our sons."

 _Through this, the boy can imagine how traumatizing and heartbreaking the Dark Signers have it. What is the cost of living after death if it is not with loved ones, having to feed on the vices of people and having to watch as everyone ages but not you?_

Shooti looks at his feet before he states, "You know, the canopy here reminds me of Nagi's room. And Natsume said that Nagi was bi so does that mean that you and she...were..."

Mikuri frowns and turns his back to Shooti. "Back when the two of us were still learning about our new purposes, we tried getting together. We later learned that it wasn't meant to be as our hearts belonged to someone else." He turns around. "I take it you caught Nagi feeding?"

Shooti shakes his head as he leans back, taking a photo of the pearly lights and listening to the sounds of lapping water relax him. The conch speakers have switched to a new song, but Shooti does not care for what it is ("Scarborough Fair" by Simon and Garfunkel) and would rather just sleep for a while, wanting to let his mind rest from everything he has heard.

Until someone enters the room.

"Mikuri-san," says the person, their identity concealed by the hooded cloak with violet trim. "I have come to pick up Shooti."

Mikuri, who was admiring a picture of a mermaid combing her hair by a tide pools, turns to look at the person and sighs. "Is it really that time? Oh well. Shooti, your escort has arrived."

Shooti sits up and sees the person, carrying a lantern in his right hand despite how bright the room is, before standing up.

"This way," the tall stranger notes, leading Shooti out of the room. He pulls the hood off his cloak as they return to the hall, the flames of the torches a cool indigo color. When the stranger turns to face Shooti Shooti gasps.

"You…" he says. "Is it possible….are you…"

The person, with violet hair pulled back into a long ponytail and spiky bangs and kind black eyes, smiles.

"Where are my manners?" asks man. "My name is Reiji. Reiji Shimabara."

 _When that name is uttered, the boy stands absolutely still. Reiji Shimabara was a well-known duelist; a rising star whose strange archetype of monsters made him near unbeatable in a duel, with monsters from his Extra Deck that covered everything from Fusions to Xyz and even a very special type of summoning that only a few duelists have been able to master called Pendulum Summoning. Anyone who tried to challenge him was doomed to fail. In fact, Haruka, the Princess of Prophecy herself, once stated that if she were to go up against Reiji, she would rather turn tail then fight._ That's _how dangerous he was._

 _Reiji had defeated so many duelists that he would eventually catch the eye of Seto Kaiba, who challenged him to a duel to test his skills. So, a few months ago, the rumors went, Reiji left his apartment (and little brother, Shinji), to go challenge the great Seto Kaiba in what would be the match of the century._

 _Days later, Reiji never came back. And it was revealed that, although Kaiba knew about Reiji's abilities, the CEO never recalled issuing such a challenge at all. Shinji himself fell into a depression, lashing out at anyone who tried to get close to him until no one dared to approached this sullen stone-hearted student._

 _That is, until Hikari Hitagi approached him. Somehow, she was able to convince her mother to adopt Shinji as a foster child, and Shinji, although still somewhat stoic, has become much more social than he was prior to his older brother's disappearance._

 _Which begs the question..._

"What happened to you?" asks Shooti. "Your brother has been searching for you for months now!"

Reiji chuckles, but the smile on his face is empty like an abandoned well.

"I died, plain and simple," the older boy answers. "And I've mostly decided to hang out here ever since."

"And your deck?"

Reiji just laughs one more. "Gone, the proud sort. That's the price I get for making contracts with demons."

He says no more as he and Shooti continue their walk, the air getting colder and colder with each step taken. A part of him feels nauseous from seeing Reiji alive, wondering how to tell Shinji the news.

"Don't even think about it," says Reiji, his voice stern. "I don't want the forces of darkness to go after my brother. Oh, how is he by the way?"

 _That insensitive prick._

"He's….adjusting to not living with you," Shooti begins. "He lives with Hikari, a fellow student and they're becoming….close."

"Ah. Well, at least he has someone better to take care of him. And, oh! We are here."

Another door is in front of them, with a sign of a large bird in flight and it's wings outstretched. Reiji knocks on it once. Twice. Three times.

"Wataru-san," he says. "We're here."

He then blows out the lantern as the door slides open. The two enter and Shooti looks all around.

The room is like a grand library with shelves filled with so many tomes and scrolls that it looks so similar to the legendary Library of Alexandria if it was still around today. The carvings of Nazca lines (a pair of hands, a large spiral, a heron) dance in Shooti's vision, tempting him with the knowledge that perhaps there are more Immortals, and, more importantly, more Dark Signers, ready to awaken.

There are tables and chairs for reading, and small birds of violet light perch on large lamps. Sitting by a large oak table is a man with spiky red hair and wears a black cloak with the same purple bird on it.

"Wataru-san," Reiji repeats, bowing respectively. "Your guest."

Wataru looks up from his book and closes it shut. He then stands up and approaches Shooti, his carmine eyes softening at the boy.

"Ah," he begins. "Shooti Hayami, the boy that has enamored our sweet Bel."

"A pleasure to meet you, Wataru," says Shooti, bowing slightly. "You must represent the sin of Pride and your Earthbound Immortal is of the...hawk?"

"Condor," Wataru corrects. "But yes, I am also a Dark Signer who flies with the wind beneath his wings. However, I do not go out so often to feed as it can be very difficult to obtain a sufficient amount of who to convert into fuel."

"But on the rare occasions he does go out, it is in underground dueling rings and the like," Reiji notes.

"If I didn't go to one that night, your corpse would have been left hanging on that broken steel beam, swinging around like a piñata until you and copious other corpses were to be sent to a furnace to become nothing more than a kilo of ashes without anyone to mourn for you," Wataru replies coolly, a smirk on his face. "Know your place, Reiji."

"...I do," Reiji answers.

Wataru then lays his eyes on Shooti, who has taken a photo of the room and its numerous amounts of books. "I take it you know why Bel chose you?"

"Only because my brother is involved with my friend committing suicide," Shooti answers, seating himself down on a chair. He looks down at his camera, relishing at the photos he has taken this evening.

"That and more," Wataru answers. "Bel has taken a liking towards you."

Shooti looks up. "Like how Midori has taken a liking to Toru Watanabe in _Norwegian Wood_?" he clears his throat. "Oh, I just love the way you talk. Cool and smooth like plaster.' Or that Humphrey Bogart line about not wanting to be disappointed...If you ask me, Watanabe was nothing more than a drifter this side of Holden Caulfield who never really _does_ anything to change himself, but rather just escapes his troubles and hopes someone else gives him the answers to his conundrums. He doesn't really comfort Naoko when she decides to run away to a hostel nor does he give what Midori wants from him. He can't even tell her his whereabouts! It's a miracle he actually is able to recall these events in the first place, if he wasn't just filling in dialogue."

Wataru chuckles. "How observing. Now, are you just saying that because you dislike Watanabe as a character or because you dislike how Watanabe reflects aspects of you?"

Shooti tilts his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, Watanabe is simply the 'Everyman' character in the world of fiction. He represents the average Joe, just reacting as to how everyone _else_ reacts to life. His personality is simple so that the reader can focus on the characters that essentially is him as someone to vent all their frustrations over from Naoko to Midori to Reiko to Nagasawa to the Storm Trooper and his love of maps. All he does is just reacting, but he never acts on his own desires and wants.

"And what is Watanabe in the end? Just this drifter who runs away from his love life, unable to commit to anyone and lost in his sea of memories, unable to determine what happened next, nor does he even try to recall what was most important to him. Did he and Midori get together in the end? Who knows? But clearly, a person like Watanabe who just exists without exhibiting signs of a life, should not be used as a role model."

 _The talk paralyzes the boy. Sure, the boy has had a simple life, but...is this some sort of threat? A test? A warning?_

 _Regardless, the boy has his pride. He would not let this go by without a fight._

"I am not like Watanabe!" Shooti exclaims, standing up. "Unlike him, I have something to search for, a reason to live and something that makes me different from the rest!"

"And what's that?" asks Wataru.

"I have a brother who has disappeared, another who has to deal with 24 dead students and their families and friends, a babysitter who treats me like her little brother, a friend who has become one of you guys and…" Shooti swallows. "I have a girl who is asking for my help."

"I see. You're saying that unlike Watanabe, there are plenty of people in your life who truly are for you. They don't see you as a prop, but a person."

"Of course!" says Shooti, more confident. "I am a person, someone who lives and laughs and cries like other people do. Watanabe does not care for others else he would step up and do something about it. He is just a bystander, but I cannot be at this point.

"There is something out there that is connected to me. And whether I like it or not, I am going to figure out what it is."

Wataru and Reiji look at Shooti taking a deep breath. Then, as Shooti calms down, Wataru claps his hands.

"Such pride!" he says as he sees a purple aura surround the boy. "Not enough to make a meal but enough to show that you are quite interesting."

"Was that why you riled me up?" ask Shooti. "To make me your meal?"

"No, if I wanted to make you a meal, I would let you age like a nice cheese or wine," Wataru answers. "Plus, it would be rude for me to feed on someone as important as you."

Shooti huffs as walks to the door.

"You sure you can make it out without a guide?" asks Wataru, raising an eyebrow. "This is a pretty big place, you know."

"I think I can manage," Shooti replies. "How hard can it be?"

 _Jot that down as another mistake right there, folks._

Wataru looks at Reiji before the older man smirks, raises his hands and watches as the walls shift and revolve. Instead of a door that Shooti is approaching, it is now a wardrobe.

"So if you'll excuse me," says Shooti, obliviously opening the door to the wardrobe. "I'm going to find my way out of HERE!"

As if he is traversing to Narnia, Shooti becomes entangled in various clothes before he falls, falls, falls down until he lands with a thud inside...another wardrobe?

Shooti, annoyed at this point with Wataru's antics, just groans as he removed a scarf that is tied around his head and tossing it to the side.

After feeling his arms and legs, and noting that nothing is broken, Shooti thinks he can hear something outside. He slowly opens the wardrobe and through the small opening he can see that the room is dark, with the only light source being numerous wax candles on ebony candlesticks. In the middle of this elegant room is a dark wood four poster bed covered by a black canopy with crimson and cyan silk sheets and a sprinkling of white rose petals decorating the bed itself like colorful ribbons of fondant on top of a cake.

The bed is currently in use by two men that Shooti knows.

From where he is sitting, Shooti can see a shirtless Kiryu pressing his lips onto someone else's, a man with glazed cobalt eyes and black hair styled like a crab…

And that man is none other than Yusei Fudo.


	5. Died in Your Arms Tonight

_**Love in its most natural form is a wonderful thing.**_

 _ **How it makes others strong enough to conquer demons, the strength it gives another to protect people we care about, how it can be spread amongst others young and old...it is a universal concept all by its own. Love changes everything.**_

 _ **We can love thy neighbor as equally as we love our own families and we can even learn to love ourselves.**_

 _ **However, there are times where love can twist your actions and warp your viewpoint. (And yes, I get the hypocrisy of my words.)**_

 _ **Love can make you hurt others, they can damage relationships, can destroy that which was meant to heal...sometimes the most romantic stories are the ones filled with (pointless) tragedy.**_

 _ **One good example of this is the tale of "Romeo and Juliet" where our short-sighted lovers end up dying due to jumping to conclusions and yet**_ **everyone** _**except Shakespeare feels sorry for these angsty teens.**_

 _ **And, while I will admit that my own state of being mirrors that of poor Romeo, I at least admit that my death can bring about a good cause…**_

 _ **...At least, compared to what happened to the two lovebirds I saw that night.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **2nd Shot (Part 3)**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Died in Your Arms Tonight**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

The minute Shooti sees the form of Yusei Fudo in that four poster bed, he realizes that he is in this dark room where an undead Kiryu is having sex with another man, and he has no idea how to get out.

The only thing he can do is close the wardrobe door as quietly as possible, scoot to the back of the wardrobe, cover his ears, close his eyes and pray for Bel to find him...and fast.

For while Shooti is a fan of boys' love (he found himself becoming a fan of Eiji/Ankh after watching _Kamen Rider OOO_ ), his idea of love revolves around holding hands, sleeping on a bench, sharing food, etc. Nothing about two men in bed, naked and having sex, has ever entered his mind.

It is at this point that he wishes that he brought a pair of headphones on him so he can listen to the _Blade Runner_ soundtrack that he downloaded on his phone. Certainly the music of Vangelis would sound _better_ than what he's trying to block out.

Back in the bed, Yusei grips Kiryu's shoulders, his nails digging deep to the point of drawing blood, panting for breath as he screams Kiryu's name and begs for more. Kiryu just pulls back from within Yusei before thrusting back in, continuing this rhythm of harder thrusts and small bite marks onto Yusei's shoulders and neck to magnify the combination of pleasure and pain.

"Kiryu!" Yusei shouts, already reaching his limit, his mind filled with nothing but pleasure as his voice comes out in short pants that echo in the dark room. His hands desperately claw across Kiryu's back as he begs, "Please, _please_ let me...Oh, god, I'm gonna…"

Whatever he says next is drowned by screams instead. After a few seconds, Shooti lowers his hands and opens his eyes, slowly peers through the crack of the wardrobe and watches Kiryu lift his head back in ecstasy as the silver haired man releases deep inside Yusei, grey eyes changing into the color of ebony. Yusei, his mind clouded by lust, doesn't see this as he feels Kiryu releasing deep inside him, milking every last drop and wanting this feeling to last forever as Kiryu leans over and places gentle kisses over his forehead, eyelids and the yellow tattoo going down his left eye, placing a quick peck on the small triangle mark at the corner.

"I missed you, Kiryu," Yusei murmurs, placing a hand on Kiryu's shoulder. "I was worried that you were dead or something."

Kiryu laughs nervously. Still, he lets Yusei run a hand through his hair before slipping out, starts cuddling the love of his life with a smile and places a kiss on Yusei's lips with the idea that he is ready for another round of sex if need be, or the two will just stare into each other's eyes until they fall asleep in each other's arms.

Shooti just sighs; for a moment it looked like Kiryu really _was_ going to go through and kill Yusei to start off that "premonition" of Team Satisfaction being resurrected.

And, he does admit, the scenery does make for a good photo.

Shooti brings his camera up and watches the two men smile, preparing for that perfect shot. Everything seems to have calmed down…

That is, until Shooti notices the knife Kiryu is holding behind his back.

Yusei is oblivious to it all, riding out the euphoria from his and Kiryu's bedtime activities to react to Kiryu rising up and raising the knife in the air. Yusei doesn't even have time to react as Kiryu brings the knife down…

And stabs the side of the bed with a cry of disgust as he covers his face with shame.

"I can't do it," Kiryu whispers, a single tear falling down his eye. "I can't kill you, Yusei."

Yusei looks in confusion as the pleasure starts to fade. "Kiryu, what's going on?"

Kiryu is shaking violently, running his hands up and down his arms despite the fact that he can no longer feel the cold. "I'm sorry, Yusei. I was about to get you involved in this entirely fucked up situation that I'm now stuck in. I won't allow that. Those crazy bitches have another thing coming if they think I'm going to play their little games."

"Games? Kiryu…" Yusei sits up and brushes Kiryu's bangs aside. "Tell me what's going…"

He pauses when he sees how Kiryu's eyes are a black color, devoid of any light, like miniature black holes. And the yellow criminal tag that falls down his right eye is the color of dried blood.

Kiryu looks away in shame, more tears falling down his face.

"Yusei…" he whispers. "Please leave...leave before I have to kill you and drag you into this mess."

"...Not until you tell me everything," Yusei states firmly as he sits up. "Kiryu, what happened last Saturday? Where did you run off to?"

Kiryu looks into Yusei's eyes, the latter not afraid of those dark orbs before Kiryu unleashes a long sigh.

"Yusei," he begins. "When I went to confront Magician's Four, I met up with these five chicks in black robes who began to feed off of the 'sin' carried within their souls. Yeah, I know, it sounds so fucked up, but it's the truth. I tried to escape, but one of those Magician's bastards had a gun and manage to shoot me in the heart. I didn't realize what he had done and was knocked unconscious for a while. When I woke up, I found out that those five women were everywhere, chasing after me with no reason. But I was the only one who saw them...or rather, the only one who they _wanted_ to see them.

"You and Jack and Crow...you all kept saying that I was having some breakdown after seeing Magician's Four, those bastards, dead in front of my eyes. I started to believe that myself, but I was wrong...oh, so wrong.

"And on that night I went crazy trying to attack Kaibaman and while you raced to get Security, those girls arrived and told me that I've been dead - even the goody-goody superhero confirmed it, that bastard - and brought me to this place, this _sanctuary_ for lack of a better term. They told me everything... everything about what they want to do with Satellite."

Kiryu stops as Yusei looks in shock, trying his best to stay calm before leaning close to Kiryu and places an ear on his chest, hoping to hear a heartbeat. Instead, Yusei hears nothing.

"Y...you can't be dead," he whispers, denial and fear replacing lust and pleasure and relief that Kiryu is with him in his mind. "How...how is…"

Kiryu smiles sadly. "These Dark Signers revived me both out of pity and because their master, this Dark King of the Afterlife, saw that we would all become his 'Enforcers' and protect Satellite against any and all threats that would interrupt his return to the mortal realm."

"The _what_?"

Kiryu sucks his teeth in. "It's a lot to take in, I know. But from what those Dark Signers told me, Satellite is built above what they are calling the Gates of Hamunaptra, a portal to this other world where souls wander in a sort of dream-like paradise ruled by the Dark King of the Afterlife. The Dark King is the highest authority of those girls (and two guys); his word is law around this place.

"I spent all of yesterday and today in this place learning about it, actually _communicating_ with this King and, surprisingly, the guy's not evil, but rather he works with dreams, a Sandman if you think about it. He showed me what Satellite could be if I joined him; a paradise that we can all be satisfied with, where we don't have to live in fear from some of the nastier things that lurk in the shadows." Kiryu laughs a bit. "And we would just be doing like what we are now when we aren't working at Satisfaction Town; patrolling the areas and ensuring that everyone is taken care of...the only difference is that Hamunaptra is (mostly) filled with creatures of a gentle sort and souls who are filled with vice will become our food source. We'll never have to go hungry ever again.

Yusei looks slightly disturbed at the idea of Kiryu becoming a cannibal, but Kiryu continues with a mirthless laugh, "Oh yeah, did I mention that already? These Dark Signers absorb the sin found within souls. After they had their share, the soul has a choice whether to go back to their vices or perhaps have a chance of doing something better. If the soul is _too_ corrupted though, then they consume it or gives them a proper punishment wrenched from the shadows themselves, no questions asked.

"But the price to pay for this paradise is that you, Jack and Crow have to die for this to happen. The Dark King saw my past, saw into my very _soul_ and he said that all four of us are the reincarnations of the original Enforcers of Hamunaptra, the King's elite guard, who offered their lives to ensure that Hamunaptra would be safe from the Warlord of Destruction…Reshef."

Yusei blinks as he absorbs everything, and Shooti has pulled out his notepad and written notes to research later. Kiryu continues, oblivious to the green haired boy in the wardrobe.

"So us meeting years ago, creating Team Satisfaction and Satisfaction Town...it was a matter of Fate itself. We were supposed to form these factions to prepare Satellite for when the Gates open and now we are to offer our lives for a King we served thousands of years ago in exchange for being his obedient pets whenever he sees fit. That is our curse, Yusei. That is our burden, and that is why you have to leave before it's too late."

Yusei stays silent for another minute before he shakes his head. "That's all...it's nothing more than a coincidence. We all joined together because we're friends, not because some ancient ruler of said so!"

Kiryu laughs bitterly. "There is no such thing as coincidence; there is only fate." His eyes water with tears once more. He sounds so defeated. "And Yusei, you and Jack and Crow...you all are fated to die because we're such _good friends_."

Yusei watches Kiryu move to the side as everything becomes silent, unsure whether to comfort Kiryu, to say something, or just decide to return to Satisfaction Town without even saying goodbye. He reaches towards his boyfriend and places a hand on Kiryu's shoulder.

"...I'll set things right," Yusei murmurs. "I promise."

Shooti watches as Yusei, underneath the bed sheets, slips on his discarded boxers and closes his eyes, taking a long deep breath that seems to last forever. The camera wielding boy expects to see Yusei get out of bed, get the rest of his clothes on, then confront the Dark Signers about how messed up the entire situation is.

Instead, to Shooti's horror, Yusei notices the knife still stabbed through the mattress, pulls it out, stares at the reflection of a single blue eye, then slowly inches it towards his neck.

Kiryu, as if having a sixth sense as to what Yusei is about to do, lashes out and grabs the blade, not caring how Yusei accidentally cuts him by wrenching the knife out of Kiryu's grasp as Yusei places the knife near his throat. Kiryu looks in horror, and so does Shooti, whose heart beats so loud that it's a wonder that nobody hears it. He grips onto his notebook and bites his tongue, all while it feels like time is slowing down.

"Yusei, don't do this!" Kiryu exclaims, his body trembling as he grasps onto Yusei's shoulders. "Yusei, please, I beg you!"

Yusei just smiles. "Kiryu…" he says as a tear falls down his face. "I won't let you suffer through this alone. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you encountered those women, but I'll be here with you from now on. Jack and Crow will understand this too. Team Satisfaction will _always_ be together. Fate decreed it, after all."

"Yusei, don't…"

But Yusei leans forward, places a kiss on the mark down Kiryu's right eye and whispers, "I love you."

And with one fluid motion, the blade slices his throat, Yusei's hand drops the knife onto the floor with a loud clatter, and Yusei drops into Kiryu's arms as the spark in his blue eyes fades away. Blood sprays everywhere and then drops down to the floor like a trickle of wine. Kiryu is reduced to sobs as he watches his boyfriend die with a peaceful look on his face, the spark of life in his sapphire eyes fading away with each passing second. Shooti stays quiet and also cries silent tears alongside Kiryu before pulling out a spare tissue to dry his eyes. Seconds pass before Kiryu slides Yusei's eyes close with a trembling hand.

 _This...this isn't how tonight is supposed to end._

 _As the boy watches Yusei's life bleed away, he can hear Kiryu croon the first verse of a song Carly once sang and played the guitar on; one that is absolutely befitting the situation. The song echoes in the empty chamber like a funeral dirge._

" _Love of mine_

 _Someday you will die_

 _But I'll be close behind_

 _I'll follow you into the dark_

" _No blinding light_

 _Or tunnels to gates of white_

 _Just our hands clasped so tight_

 _Waiting for the hint of a spark_

" _If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied_

 _Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs_

 _If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks_

 _Then I'll follow you into the dark"_

Kiryu's voice is the only thing that is heard as he recites the next two verses without stopping, even as tears fall down his face. Shooti watches and, ever so innocently, prepares his teal camera, waiting for the perfect picture to present itself, even if he is being insensitive at the situation. The dark room, the four-poster bed covered in white rose petals like snow and a black silk canopy like a veil of shadows, the white candles and their tiny flames, the intertwined red and blue sheets like fire and water, and how Kiryu resembles an angel of death reuniting with his beloved makes the scene so...hauntingly _beautiful._ Like something out of a Gothic Horror story or a scene from a Supernatural/Romance film.

As Kiryu sings the chorus one last time, he stops as he sees a hand reach up towards his cheek, a thumb wiping away the tears falling down his eyes. Kiryu glances at Yusei's neck and finds the knife wound fading away until it appears as if Yusei never slit his throat in the first place. And when Kiryu looks into his boyfriend's eyes, they are no longer a cool cobalt color, but now the color of obsidian, just like his own. The yellow tag over his left eye is the color of blood, a mirror image to the mark over Kiryu's right eye.

"Yusei," Kiryu whispers in disbelief. "Why did you...h - how _could_ you..."

"...Hey," says Yusei with a soft smile. "Finish the song. Please?"

Kiryu pauses as he places a hand over Yusei's own, then returns the smile as he sings the chorus one more time.

" _If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied_

 _Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs_

 _If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks_

 _Then I'll follow you into the dark_

" _I'll follow you into the dark…"_

Shooti smiles as he watches Yusei sit up and embrace Kiryu, arms wrapped tight around Kiryu's torso before the two share a breathless kiss, and begins taking photos of this sequence of events on his camera (glad to know that the flash is off). As the two men continue their kiss, and are ready to begin another round of lovemaking, Shooti takes a look at his photos with pride…

And then pauses when he hears his phone ring in his satchel, blaring _Ergo Proxy_ 's melancholic opening.

Kiryu whips his head towards the sound as Shooti hastily opens his bag and pulls out his phone, briefly glancing at the caller ID and wondering why Carly is deciding to call him _now_ of all times, just before the wardrobe door opens and Shooti is face to face with a half naked Kiryu Kyosuke glaring at this "Peeping Tom". Shooti's phone still plays that ringtone - now in the first verse - in his hand as Shooti gulps.

"You...uh, you have a nice singing voice?" he stammers out just as Kiryu yanks the boy onto his feet, hands gripping the boy's jacket. Shooti takes this time to hang up and slip his phone, notepad and camera back into the satchel.

"You…" Kiryu snarls as he looks Shooti over from head to toe. "You're that wannabe hero from two nights ago, aren't you? How the hell did _you_ get in here?"

"By 'here', are you talking about how I entered the Sanctuary or this very room?" asks Shooti, looking all around. "You have to be more speci…Whoa!"

With his newfound strength, Kiryu hurls Shooti into the bed with a thud, the boy scrambling to pick up the bloody knife on the floor to defend himself and ignoring Yusei staring back at him and the blood stained sheets that he landed on. Kiryu cracks his knuckles and spits at the ground.

"The little mouse thinks he's got a good scoop, huh?" he snarls. "What did you learn?"

"That story about the Dark King, something about Hamunaptra, how the Team Satisfaction of the past offered their very lives to stop this guy named Reshef and that you and Yusei…" Shooti's face turns red and looks at the bedsheets. "Um...like to perform acts of carnal embrace?"

Kiryu lunges toward Shooti and hisses, "I swear to Hamunaptra if you mention _any_ of that, I will make you wish…"

"Let him go, Kiryu."

Kiryu turns to see Bel, in her black and orange cloak, behind him, the Dark Signer of the Hummingbird staring the older man down as she pinches the flame of a candle between her pointer finger and thumb, before, with a flick of her wrist, a ball of fire hovers above her palm.

"You heard me," says Bel, taking a step forward. "Let Shooti go, or I shall see to it that you spend the next _week_ encased in amber."

Kiryu snarls, ready to fight the much younger girl. But after a few seconds of contemplating on the consequences of beating Shooti within an inch of his life, Kiryu surrenders.

"Fine," he grumbles. "I doubt your little boyfriend would be that much fun to torture anyhow."

Shooti sighs in relief as he turns to Bel. "How did you know I was here?"

Bel smiles as she approaches Shooti. She lifts his hand, where her ring is still on his ring finger. "I placed a tracking spell on this ring before you left with Korni. And when Wataru told me how you got stuck here, I just phased through a few walls to make it easier to reach you."

Shooti blinks. "You can phase through walls?"

Bel nods her head. "It makes it easier to traverse this place; we made the interior to be pretty massive to satisfy our needs and all."

"Ah…"

Bel giggles all while Yusei tilts his head like a bird.

"Kiryu," he says slowly. "Who are these people?"

Kiryu jerks a thumb at Bel. "The witch is the Dark Signer of Greed. And the boy's her apprentice, most likely."

"I'm alive, first off," says Shoot.. "And second of all, Bel is no witch!"

"And how would _you_ know such a thing?" Kiryu asks, raising an eyebrow.

Before Shooti can answer, Bel hurls something at Kiryu's face: a towel. Kiryu looks at it in confusion before Bel points down, which is when Kiryu notes how his stomach is still coated with secretions from the sex he and Yusei had before everything went crazy. She then summons another towel from the shadows and tosses it on the bed, which Yusei picks up.

And this is when Shooti realizes that the bed sheets are stained with semen and he jumps off the bed and hides behind Bel, cheeks flushed. Kiryu snickers at the boy's predicament as he cleans himself up. Meanwhile, Yusei hastily wipes the sticky liquid off his chest, picks up his discarded clothing and puts them on. Kiryu does the same after tossing the dirty towel in his hands to the floor (which disintegrates into darkness when it hits).

"There, we're clean," Kiryu grumbles. "Now tell me, little witch...what's so important that you interrupted my interrogation?

Bel's smile becomes solemn before she says, "Yusei Fudo, can you tell me what you saw when you briefly had a brush with death?"

Yusei stays quiet before he closes his eyes. Shooti turns to Bel, who just winks at him. Then, after a few seconds, Yusei opens his eyes, the color of the ocean once more.

"I saw him," he answers, voice empty. "I saw my father."

This causes everyone to look at Yusei as he continues, oblivious to the stares. "He waited for me at the Gates of Hamunaptra, showing me what a paradise it is. A place for the weary, for those who wish to find a home...all while the Dark King of the Afterlife sleeps in his palace.

"My father, who died during the incident that was dubbed as 'Zero Requiem', explained that this was his doing...He…"

"Your _father_ caused Zero Requiem?" Shooti interrupts. "B...but your father was supposed to be the martyr who sacrificed his life to _stop_ Zero Requiem…"

" _Zero Requiem"...the event that caused Domino Below to be created. It is said that the sky opened up and tore through what used to be the old Domino City during what was supposed to be a routine check on the reactors built to harness the energy source that the media simply called "Momentum". It was made as an alternative energy source to the shut down nuclear plants without any of the drawbacks of living in a country plagued with earthquakes and tsunamis. It was supposed to change the world…_

 _And change it is what it accomplished._

 _The boy was only a kid at that time when that happened, but from what Carly has told him, she was lucky to have made it to Domino (Neo-Domino as most of the elite families of the city call their home sweet home) before Zero Requiem reared its ugly head. Fortunately, Domino Below was quick to recover-since there would be no Satisfaction Town if that was the case-but it is said that the Momentum energy opened a hole that unleashed a sea of strange and supernatural phenomena that ended up relocating there. Not only that, it also caused the birth of_ Chasing Shadows _and its pursuit of uncovering secrets that will end up intertwined into the infrastructure of Domino City itself._

 _Dr. Fudo, Yusei's father..._ orchestrated _Domino Below's creation?_

Yusei nods his head. "Yes, my father died in the fallout that is now called 'Zero Requiem', offering me up so that I would learn of my destiny, along with the destinies of my fellow Enforcers of Hamunaptra."

Kiryu blinks, slate eyes looking on in concern. "You saw how Jack and Crow would…"

Yusei nods again. "But that is for later. My father took me to the King of the Afterlife himself and the King told me of his vision...to bring Hamunaptra back to the land of mortals. The Dark Signers were his envoys, vessels connected to the Earthbound Immortals that feed on the sins of people's souls. With this sin, the Earthbound Immortals help their vessels maintain their forms, any excess sin can be used for their Vessels for their own desires, and the Earthbound Immortals would record the person whose sin they have absorbed for the Dark King to document."

"Like something out of Ancient Egypt…" Shooti mumbles, recalling something like this at school this morning.

Yusei nods. "Whether they have sinned or not, all who walk in Hamunaptra are the Dark King's responsibility. He wishes to save as many souls as possible before the Gates of Hamunaptra truly opens. Unfortunately, some of them might be impossible to cure, but still he shall remember their names even as their soul is devoured and becomes nothing more than a fuel source for the Immortals."

"It's not something we like to do, but it's either that or…" Bel trails off. Shooti can see a tear fall down her eye that she quickly wipes away.

"And when I learned of my destiny, when _my father_ told me how happy he would be if I followed in his footsteps...it is then I knew what my destiny was after all this time," as Yusei says this, his mouth turns into a smile, his eyes light up, and his voice grows louder. "After all these years, like Kiryu said...I found my satisfaction. I would be the one to help all of these lost souls and bring them _their_ satisfaction whether it is in this life or for the life after that. If this is what my life has brought me to, then I shall use it to its fullest! That is what my father has asked of me! And father, I shall obey!"

At this, Yusei laughs, and for a moment, Kiryu looks like he is watching the end of the world present itself. Shooti looks back at forth, at Yusei laughing, at Kiryu looking confused at his boyfriend's behavior…

And then, Kiryu also begins to laugh.

"Yeah, yeah that's right!" he snickers. "This _is_ our satisfaction! Satisfying ourselves when we have nowhere else to go, where no one else can accept us. That's why we made Team Satisfaction in the first place. That's why that king asked us for our help! Why didn't I realize this _sooner_?"

Kiryu just leans onto Yusei's shoulder as he continues his laugh, the two men combining their laugh into one like singers in a duet all while Shooti looks on in horror and disbelief. Then, a third laugh joins in, a feminine one though.

"Glad you came to see things our way."

Shooti looks to see Kamitsure appear by the bed, with Molly by her side, as if the two have been in the room the entire time. She places a kiss on Yusei's forehead before running a hand over his face. An intricate red web design spreads out from forehead to chin as Kamitsure begins to chant in a tongue that is nothing Shooti has ever heard of before. Kiryu has calmed down at this point as blue helixes manifest throughout his own arms, his grey eyes darkening as he realizes how the two are about to step past that dreaded point of no return.

"W...what is Kamitsure doing to Yusei?" Shooti stammers.

"She is marking him," Bel answers. "Yusei took his own life and was resurrected by the Dark King of the Afterlife, but Kamitsure is unlocking the seal that will help him remember his past life as an Enforcer to the Dark King, transforming him into an 'Umbral Soul'; they're sort of like us, except they call upon the powers of their past lives and they usually have an ability connected to the Signer who awakened them."

"And Kamitsure is the Dark Signer for the…" Shooti hastily pulls out his notepad and leafs through his notes. "Spider, right?"

Bel nods her head. "Kiryu has also been transformed into an Umbral Soul, working under Natsume."

"The one with the sin of Lust and Dark Signer Of the Giant, right?"

"Yep. Kiryu's base powers revolve around lightning, but they'll start evolving the more he trains with it. I'm not sure what abilities Yusei will be given, but since Kamitsure is into Cyberpunk and Ray Bradbury stories, I bet she'll mix it up."

"Yeah I bet she will!" Molly adds, tilting her head at Bel. "Ooh, maybe Yusei will be able to conjure blades from his fingers and work with light in a way, right?"

Kamitsure smirks as she lowers her hand and Yusei closes his eyes. "Molly, it's like you read my mind in making Yusei a genuine razorguy."

The, she thrusts her hand straight into Yusei's chest as more and more red lines form around his heart, causing Yusei to open his eyes (with them darkening into a black color similar to what Kiryu sports) and choke and gasp for the air he will never need again. Kamitsure waits for five seconds before stepping back. Red sparks circle her fingertips as she walks away and Yusei slumps onto the mattress exhausted and his eyes empty. The lines on his face and chest dim as Molly bounces on the balls of her feet.

"What kind of cool powers did you give him?" she asks, smiling as Kamitsure chuckles.

"Have you heard the tale of the April Witch?" says the Dark Signer of the Spider. When Molly shakes her head, Kamitsure answers, "It is said she is a girl who lies in bed all day, yet her mind soars and leaps into plants, animals and even humans at night. She has a wish to fall in love, even if it means losing her magic abilities.

"Yusei is my April Witch; he represents the 'bonds' one carries with other people. And thus he can see through the eyes of whoever he wishes as long as he has visual contact with them."

Molly tilts her head. "But what else can he do?"

Then, there is a gasp from Kiryu, who groans and places a hand over his face as he falls to his knees.

Kamitsure chuckles and turns Molly away from a now kneeling and panting Kiryu. "I gave him an ability to talk to a person he inhabits through their mind and can even... _coerce_ them to do what he wants with enough willpower."

 _And this is when the boy realizes how utterly_ terrifying _such a power can be._

Kiryu glances at Yusei slowly sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. Kiryu, eyes back to normal, promptly slaps Yusei across the face, causing Molly to shriek and hide behind Kamitsure.

"You are pure _evil_ ," Kiryu chuckles, pushing Yusei back onto the bed with a lecherous grin. "I know a good use for that skill now."

Yusei chuckles, lifting his gaze to show his eyes now similar to blue mirror-like lenses, making Shooti recall the old sci-fi novel _Neuromancer_ that he glimpsed through once (he should have made the connection when Molly gave the suggestion of those cybernetic blades beneath Yusei's fingers).

"We can do that later," Yusei smirks, his nails growing into four-inch glowing blue razor blades. He traces Kiryu's jaw with one of them, but not too deep to cut through the skin, and lifts Kiryu's chin slightly. "We should rest and prepare for when we get Jack and Crow to become Enforcers. And then…" He chuckles as he leans in to deliver a bite mark on Kiryu's pale neck, causing Kiryu to lean his head back with a gasp. "We can _really_ have our satisfaction."

This causes Kiryu to howl in laughter as Shooti turns red and Bel just pats him on the back. Molly also laughs (even though she has no clue what Yusei means by "satisfaction", let alone what the word is). Then Kiryu places a kiss on Yusei's lips, the two ready to have another round of "carnal embrace" before Kamitsure clears her throat.

"That can be for later," she says. "You two are needed for a 'fitting' for your new robes. Then, return to Satellite and lay low until we need you to bring your friends to the other side. Understand?"

For a moment, it seems like the expressions on Yusei and Kiryu's faces fade away, replaced with a robotic blankness as if someone has placed a "factory reset" on their minds. Shooti aims his camera and takes a photo at them, standing erect, awaiting their orders. Molly approaches Shooti to get a better look at his shot, but Bel gently pulls the child away and shakes her head.

"Of course," Yusei answers, voice void of emotion. "From the darkness we are born, and from the darkness we stand as one."

"We are united under the eyes of our Dark King," Kiryu adds, displaying no sign of nervousness from earlier. He sounds more loyal, more willing to follow. "Let us go."

Kamitsure nods once before she looks at Bel. "Can you be a dear and bring Molly back to my bedroom? We'll be meeting at the Prayer Room when you're done."

"Okay then," says Bel, watching Kamitsure beckon one half of Team Satisfaction to follow her towards a door marked with two hands clasped in prayer. She then looks down at Molly. "All right, it's time for you to get to bed. And don't make me catch you watching those _Sesame Street_ parody videos again."

"Aw," Molly pouts. "But I like them so much!"

"I don't think Kamitsure nor Korni liked how they had to explain those references from the _Game of Chairs_ video to you, especially that line about a 'wedding'."

As Molly giggles and places a hand towards her mouth, Shooti pulls out his phone and sees Carly's message. He then notices the time and his eyes widen in shock.

"Bel, I need to get going," he says, hastily slipping the phone back into his satchel. "Carly is at my house right now, asking where I went. Oh man, if she finds out that I'm with the Dark Signers, she'll flip out and-"

Bel slapping him across the face once more calms Shooti down.

"Right, sorry," Shooti mumbles, rubbing where Bel's hand met his face.

Bel giggles. "No problem. I'll conjure up a portal that'll take you just one block away from your house. But promise me one thing, Shooti."

"What's that?"

Bel narrows her eyes as she takes a step towards him, bringing her hand out. A second later, she smiles. "Please keep my identity as a Dark Signer a secret from everyone, okay? I don't want everyone at school to know that their newest student is a living dead girl and all…"

"Also, would you mind if I borrowed your camera tonight? I want to fill it up with more and more photos since you need to sleep and all.

 _The boy pauses as he looks at the camera in his hand. He has never let anyone borrow it, except for Jun, and even then it's for taking photos of the boy himself in very mundane situations._

 _To give it to Bel would mean like the boy is offering up a part of his very soul to her…_

Shooti looks at his camera before, with a look of sadness as if saying goodbye to a beloved pet, he places his precious digicam into Bel's open hand. "Take care of her."

Bel winks. "I promise. Oh and one last thing. Shooti , can you show me your cellphone?"

Shooti is about to ask why, but then it clicks and he immediately hands it to her. Bel presses a few buttons and, seconds later, she places the phone back into Shooti's hand.

"There!" she says. "Now I can call or text you if anything important comes up, okay?" When Shooti nods his head, Bel smiles back. "Good! Now, hold still while I conjure that portal back to your house."

With the wave of her other hand, another black swirling portal manifests on the wall. Shooti stares at it before he turns to Bel and says, "About tonight...it was very...interesting."

Bel returns the comment with a tiny smile. Shooti then leaps into the portal, waving good-bye before the portal winks out. Bel then turns to Molly, who has been sitting at the corner of the bed for some time (oblivious to the fact that Yusei and Kiryu have used it for some adult activities that she is too young to understand).

"Come on, sweetie," says Bel. "Time for bed."

"Could you at least read me a chapter from _Alice in Wonderland_?" Molly asks, making her eyes wide.

After a second, Bel sighs and shakes her head.

"This meeting is super important," she tells Molly, watching the girl jump off the bed with a pout. "But...I can let you watch a bit of the film version with the Alice wearing the yellow dress, if you don't mind."

"Yay!" Molly cheers, taking Bel's hands into her own. "Let's go! Let's go! I can't wait to see it!"

Bel just laughs as the girl leads her out of the chamber, all while clasping onto the camera with a firm hand.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Shooti races down the dark tunnel until he finds himself standing just one block away from his apartment, just like Bel said.

The streets are quiet at this hour. Still, Shooti has a feeling that someone could pop up and kidnap him. That was the reason why he had a curfew and all.

Shooti ignores the feeling of being observed as he runs down the sidewalk towards his apartment, climbing three flights of stairs before he reaches the door.

Inhaling deeply, he knocks on it three times.

"Carly?" he says. "Open up. It's me, Shooti."

"Is that really you?" Carly's voice asks from the other side. "Name me one thing that only the real Shooti knows."

Shooti sighs; the two play this game whenever a situation comes up when his mother has to leave for an emergency at the hospital. He already knows what to say.

"We once tried to make our own Cyberpunk RPG," Shooti answers. "We made the characters of Johnny Mnemonic and Molly Millions, trying to traverse through the Gernsback Continuum in order to save a massive amount of people from semiotic ghosts that planned to wreak havoc on the waking world."

There is a moment of silence as Shooti takes the time to slip Bel's ring into the pocket of his jacket and then, the door unlocks. Carly opens the door, her glasses perched on top of her head, and her eyes red from crying as she stares at Shooti.

"Hey Carly," Shooti begins, wincing at the tears flowing down Carly's face. "I'm sorry for not answering but…"

Carly pulls him inside and closes the door behind her before wrapping her arms around him tight, sobbing softly. The older girl's body convulses like she is having a seizure as she looks up at him.

"Where the hell did you go?" Carly asks. "I tried calling you and got so worried...I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, but my boss told me that I had to stay and get photos and interviews and then I saw Jun somehow miraculously intact despite being covered in blood and all those corpses…and…" More tears fall down her eyes. "I just couldn't lose you and I thought you decided to jump off a building and…"

"Carly, I'm fine," Shooti hastily replies. "I just...I went out for some fresh air and…"

"And?" asks Carly, stepping back. "Shooti, did you try and go get information about the suicides? You…"

"No! Um, no, not about that. The truth is…" Shooti gulps as he looks at his satchel. "I, uh, met with someone."

"Someone? What did they look like? What was their names? Did they do anything to you?!"

"They...they…"

Shooti bites his lip as he stares at his feet. How is he supposed to lie out of this?

Answer? He doesn't.

Instead, he pulls out his notepad from his satchel and shows it to Carly.

"What is this?" she asks, taking it into her hands. She opens the cover and her eyes widen in shock.

"It's all about the Dark Signers," Shooti explains. "They found me when I ran out of the apartment to grieve and invited me to their home. I got to know them a bit better and they aren't as scary as what people make them out to be. I mean, they help people and they have jobs too!"

Shooti smiles as Carly reads through his notes, one page at a time, feeling proud of his accomplishments in learning about the Dark Signers and their goals regarding Hamunaptra. But what Carly does next catches him off guard…

She tears all of his notes into confetti.

Every single page is ripped up into smaller and smaller pieces that litter around her feet like snow. Shooti can't speak at all, too shocked to find his babysitter calmly destroying all that he has uncovered.

This...this isn't what Carly would usually do _._

When the last page is torn, Carly tosses the notepad to the floor, and snarls as she stares Shooti, eyes never blinking but rather becoming a darker shade of grey.

"Shooti," she states, her voice dropping to a contralto that states, "I am being serious here". She grips his shoulders firmly, her slate-colored eyes staring into his pale grey ones. "Promise me that, starting tomorrow, you _don't_ associate with those Dark Signers."

"W...what for?" asks Shooti. He has never seen this side of Carly before; not even when he decided to duel Shira the Duel Reaper did Carly become this frightening (the duel never happened as Shira vanished during Shooti and Carly's argument).

"Just promise me!" Carly snarls, baring her teeth like a savage dog. " _Promise me_ , Shooti."

 _The boy has no idea how to react. Sure, Carly did mention how those who investigate the Dark Signers never make it out alive or the idea that anyone who got in their way (be it a small child or members of a Duel Gang) became integrated into their little "cult" for lack of a better term._

 _But Bel...Bel isn't like that._

 _Yes, she feeds on the sin of Greed and has been doing this for quite some time. Yes, she is preparing Satellite for some sort of holy ground for an entity known as the Dark King of the Afterlife. And_ yes _, she doesn't see anything wrong with the idea of Yusei Fudo killing himself, the fact that he and Kiryu have time together through "carnal embrace", or of how Team Satisfaction will eventually become loyal undead bodyguards to the Dark Signers._

 _But Bel is also the closest thing the boy has to a lead as to what's going on to his brother, and a girl that has captivated the boy and made him fall in love with her._

Shooti curls a hand into a fist before he stares back into Carly's eyes with an equally determined stare. Even though he feels like he's being petrified by Carly's Gorgon-like gaze, he stands firm, steadfast, and above all, resolute.

"Okay, Carly," he says. "I promise not to."

Carly narrows her eyes. " _Promise?_ "

Shooti swallows a lump in his throat. "I promise."

Carly stares at Shooti for three more seconds before she nods her head. Then, she slips her glasses back on as Shooti exhales, as if he has just walked past a large pile of trash left to rot in the sun.

After Carly sends a text message to Shooti's mother, she slips the cellphone back into her go-bag and smiles.

"I'm just glad you're safe," she says, leaning forward and patting him on the shoulder. "I have to get going now before Akari thinks I've jumped off a building or something. Don't ever do anything like that again, okay? At least call me so I know where you go, all right?"

Shooti bows his head. "I'll make sure not to make you worried again, Carly. I'm sorry."

Carly smiles, hugs him one more time and then goes to slip her shoes on. She turns to look at Shooti one more time, and says, "Good night." before she opens the door, presses the lock on the door knob and walks out, the door closing behind her. Shooti waits for a few seconds before he quietly gathers what were his notes and tosses the scraps into the trash bin in the kitchen.

He grits his teeth as he marches to his bedroom, not even bothering to change as he tosses his bag to the floor. He sits on his bed in frustration as he tries to process everything. Dark Signers, suicides, Team Satisfaction, his brother…all of this was connected and he feels like he has been swept up like Dorothy Gale and Toto by a humongous twister into Oz.

But it is what Carly did to his notes that angers him the most. She, of all people, should be proud of his accomplishment, going to the Dark Signers and learning so much about them. Of course, this information wasn't going to be posted for everyone to see, but still!

As he stares at the ceiling, Shooti can only say one thing.

"Life is…" he pauses before he finds the right word for it "...weird."

And he says no more as he approached his closet, exchanges his clothes for pajamas, brushes his teeth and then crawls underneath the covers, ignoring his homework in his backpack in favor of shut-eye.

He reached for his phone on the floor and picks it up. But when he turns it on, he finds a message on it.

From Bel.

He sits up and immediately pulls the messenger app on, looking at what Bel has to say to him after the horror of seeing a suicide right in front of his eyes.

But after reading it once or twice, he is quite relieved to learn that the message doesn't revolve around Team Satisfaction, the Dark Signers or Jun.

 _Bel:_ I had a good time tonight. Do you wanna do it again sometime?

 _The boy hesitates as he recalls Carly's strict warning, but then he remembers how Bel and the other Dark Signers are asking for his help. They want him to get involved with some undercover story._

 _Bel is counting on the boy, and somewhere along the way his best friend and older brother have gotten into the crossfire. The boy just can't ignore something like this._

 _And, as Carly said, the boy is not to_ associate _with them, which means not to be involved in whatever scheme they have planned. Going to school with one doesn't count as "association". Not to mention that Carly doesn't know that Bel is one of them (thank goodness the boy didn't write anything about her)._

 _So, the boy sits up and immediately types a reply._

 _Shooti:_ Yeah, let's do it again soon. See you tomorrow at school _._

Shooti waits for a few seconds before he gets his reply from Bel.

 _Bel:_ Okay then. Goodnight, Shooti.

 _Shooti:_ Goodnight, Bel.

And after placing his cellphone on the bedside table, Shooti lays down in bed, closes his eyes and falls asleep. In his dreams, he sees himself in a masquerade ball, dressed in a suit with a green feathery mask covering his eyes while walking amongst other people equally dressed and masked. Some of these people watch him with interest, and they are all look familiar to him if he decides to look at them: from the little girl with spider lilies decorating her mask to the men that look similar to Yusei and Kiryu wrapped in a warm embrace. They all wait to see who he chooses.

Shooti in the dream notices a lone girl with blonde hair standing by a window wearing an orange dress decorated with black feathers, her bare upper back facing him. He taps her shoulder, and she turns to face him, her hummingbird mask covering lively green eyes. Shooti brings his hand out, and she accepts it. Then, the orchestra begins to play _Norwegian Wood_ , and the two waltz, lost in each other's eyes to care about what everyone else thinks of them.

The other dancers do not matter; all they need and have is each other.

And in the real world, Shooti smiles while he continues to dance with the girl of his dreams.

 _This should have been the end of the boy's troubles. But as the boy soon finds out, this end will turn out to be the beginning of a path he cannot stray from, and a fate that he has decided for himself._

 _But until he wakes up, the boy is happy. That is all that matters._


	6. The Next in Line

_**Has anyone ever heard of that cautionary rhyme "For want of a nail?"**_

 _ **This talks about how the loss of just a single horseshoe nail causes the loss of an entire kingdom. It basically states how one minor thing, it could be accepting or refusing an offer, or the death of a person, can screw up everyone else.**_

 _ **You see it all the time in fiction: some idiot causes severe trauma because they do something rather stupid and causes suffering for everyone else and they usually get away with it (or, if they're completely idiotic, never understand what they caused). Like dumb Jack in "Into the Woods"; was it really a smart reason to take Riding Hood's dare and then get away with not being devoured by a rightfully angered giantess while his poor, suffering mother loses her life?**_

 _ **And in real life this happens too: World War I was caused over the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the Serbian sniper who caused it would trigger a genocide of his people decades later. I wonder if he saw what he caused in his cell in the afterlife as his people scream and cry in agony over his actions.**_

 _ **I can name so many times where horseshoe nails have been want to cause wanton destruction (the fires from Chicago and London caused by a tipped lantern from a cow and flames from an open bakery window, respectively, not to mention that a carelessly thrown cigarette stub caused 126 women to die in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire) but there are times the nails lead into something good (Joan of Arc following the voices in her head to help liberate France from England or accidental discoveries from penicillin to Post-it notes and the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire caused reforms for factory workers in America). I guess it all depends on how you look at it.**_

 _ **So, whoever is listening to my tale, answer this question…**_

 _ **Did the nails placed throughout this sorrowful tale of mine lead to something good or bad in the end?**_

 _ **Because, clearly, I haven't the slightest idea.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **3rd Shot**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **The Next in Line**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _How the boy manages to sleep after everything that transpired is beyond him, but he sleeps until his cellphone's alarm clock wakes him up at 7:00 to tell him to prepare for school._

 _It doesn't take long for the boy to shower, get dressed and prepare his bag for school (although he does spend five minutes attempting to complete his math homework, deciding on making the excuse that his best friend's death caused the boy to be unable to finish it if his teacher questions why it's unfinished)._

 _Then, he leaves his bedroom to face the madness._

"Morning," says Shooti, covering his mouth as he yawns. He looks at the living room, reminded at how he and Bel spent so much time there the night before, where he learned about Dark Signers and Bel had dinner with him. His cheeks turn red at the memory, particularly at the photo of her winking at the camera when he took her picture.

"Good morning," says the voice of Shooti's mother, Saya Hayami, from the kitchen. "Shooti, are you doing okay?"

"Um, yeah. Of course I am," Shooti hastily answers. "Why wouldn't I be?"

When he enters the kitchen, he sees his mother closing the lid on the slow cooker and watching it light up after being set to low heat. The woman, with short olive green hair and similar grey eyes like her youngest son, smiles at him when she turns around, but Shooti can tell that the smile is more to comfort herself rather than him.

"Shooti…" Saya begins, approaching the boy. She wraps her arms around him tight, as if he is about to disappear if she doesn't hold on. "Don't lie to me. The news about Jun's suicide must be hard on you."

 _The boy feels his mother stroke his back as he resists the urge to cry. It's not that he doesn't want to cry on his mother's shoulder (far from it; he would_ really _like to spend the entire day being hugged by her as he confesses how he knows about Jun's new state of being). But rather it is because he can't fully express the truth without making it sound like he needs to go see a psychiatrist._

 _What can be worse than telling her, someone who treats dying patients on a regular basis, that his best friend is already_ dead _? She probably would go all Oedipus on Jun if he were to ever set his dark eyes on her..._

 _Resisting the urge to cry, the boy returns the hug and grips onto his mother tight as if also mirroring the thought about losing her. For all that he has experienced, and all that he wants to pursue with Bel, the boy cannot make his mother suffer more than she already is._

"It...it really hurts," Shooti explains, gritting his teeth as tears fall down his face. "I...I should have been with him after school. But he looked so happy and I thought it was just him being him! I should have sensed something was wrong…If I did, maybe he wouldn't have..."

"Shh, don't cry," Saya whispers, stroking her son's back. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."

They continue to hug for a minute or two until they hear someone knocking at the door.

"Hello?" says a familiar voice. "Is anyone there?"

Shooti looks up as his mother approaches the door. She peers through the peephole before turning to Shooti.

"I think it's a student from DCIS," she says.

Shooti's eyes widen. "Um, what do they look like?"

"She has blond hair, green eyes and she's wearing red glasses. Should I let her in?"

 _The boy's heart practically stops as he considers the choices; either he lets Bel in so that she can be introduced to his mother (and possibly let his mother know what happened to her baby boy the night before), or he shoos Bel away and sees her at school._

 _And, mistake number twelve, he goes…_

"Yeah, you can let her in," he answers. "Bel's a...a friend of mine."

Saya slowly nods her head as she unlocks the door. When she opens it, Shooti sees Bel smiling at him, looking just like she did the day before.

"Good morning," Bel says. "Are you Shooti's mother?"

"Why yes!" Saya answers. "I'm Saya Hayami, why don't you come in and have a seat? Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

"No thank you, I already ate," Bel giggles, covering her mouth with a hand. "I came to see if Shooti was all right, regarding...you know…"

She says nothing else as she enters the apartment, removing her shoes and setting them on the shoe rack all while Shooti looks at what Bel is holding in her hand…

His camera.

Shooti stays silent as Bel takes her seat at the dining table, setting the camera down in front of her as Saya closes the apartment door before returning to the kitchen. Shooti looks into Bel's eyes, trying to decipher what they're trying to tell him before he approaches her.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, his voice a bit shaky.

Bel just smiles back at him as she hands him his camera. "I came to return this to you; you left it back at school remember?"

"I did no such…" Shooti pauses as he takes a glance at his mother pulling out a carton of eggs from the fridge. "Oh right, yeah. Thanks for that."

"No prob. Now come on, don't you want to see all _your_ photos?"

"Um...sure."

Bel smiles as Shooti takes his seat across from her, feeling somewhat awkward after what has transpired less than twenty-four hours ago. Taking the camera into his hands, his hands already go through the movements that lets him see through all the photos that have been taken, unsure as to what he is about to see.

The latest photo he sees is normal enough. It is a picture of all seven Dark Signers in 'normal' clothes standing in front of their mansion in the early morning. If Shooti didn't already know that they were already dead, it would have looked absolutely...fine.

The photo prior to that depicts them in their Dark Signer robes, but their eyes are normal looking and none of them have red markings on their faces. Now, they looked like they were part of a cult.

And the photo prior to that one shows them with their signature black eyes and red markings, making them look sinister, up to no good, downright _malicious_. Even Bel looked like a witch in her black robes with the orange bird covering her chest.

Shooti says nothing as he looks at a few more photos that Bel took: there is a photo of the Dark Signers having breakfast in a dark dining room, a photo of an indoor swimming pool flanked with a statue of Aqua Spirit watching over the Dark Signers that are taking a night swim (Shooti has to quickly look away at seeing the women in bikinis), and a photo of Kiryu and Yusei bowing towards a statue of an ominous figure, carved from obsidian, gazing at the 'Enforcers' ready to fulfill their master's mission.

Shooti's eye twitches as he recalls Yusei's declaration to follow in his father's work, the way Yusei smiled before he slashed his throat and let himself die, the way Yusei laughed when he announced that he would follow the Dark King's goal, how Yusei and Kiryu transformed into obedient servants after Kamitsure said a few words to them…

He grips onto the digicam, feeling like he wants to throw it onto the ground so he doesn't have to see any more of these horrifying scenes, but can't. Instead, he just calmly places a hand on the table and then stands up and grabs onto the collar of Bel's blouse, the girl not even unfazed when it looks like they are close enough to kiss.

"What...happened to them?" Shooti asks. "What happened to Yusei and Kiryu? And _please_ don't tell me that they were in bed again and..." He pauses as he thinks of the proper phrase for it. "Playing patty-cake...You _do_ get the reference to that, right?"

Bel blinks before she cracks a smile and calmly removes Shooti's hand off of her. As this goes on, Saya is in the kitchen, cracking eggs into a bowl.

"You really want to know?" she asks. "Well, I could get in trouble if I do this, but if you insist…"

She places her pointer finger on Shooti's forehead and concentrates on channeling all her energy into Shooti. Her eyes darken once more as Shooti finds the scenery around him fading away. The red triangle mark underneath the corner of Bel's left eye manifests as she says,

"And yes, Shooti. I understood that reference."

That is the last thing Shooti hears as he feels like he is falling into a dark abyss...

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

And lands with an "oof" on a dark floor.

Shooti slowly stands up and looks around. The room is black, with the only light coming from tall candlesticks and ivory colored candles. He watches as six hooded figures walk toward the other side of the room with two other figures (who are not wearing black cloaks at all) at the front...

Yusei Fudo and Kiryu Kyosuke.

Shooti looks down at his hands, seeing that they are transparent. He jumps, but then finds his feet hit the floor without a sound. So, he's still obliging to the laws of gravity, it seems. Nodding his head, he approaches the procession, seeing them stop after perhaps ten or twenty steps and look up. Shooti follows their gaze and gasps at what he sees..

A large bust of a man, at least twenty feet tall, looms over the Dark Signers. Carved from obsidian and the candlelight giving him an ominous glow, from what Shooti can see, the "person" is wearing a mask with hieroglyphics carved on the right side. They have long hair that falls down to their shoulders and a strange crown with a golden cobra facing the audience. For a moment, Shooti feels as if the bust's eyes have turned to face him, but quickly remembers that this is a memory and sighs in relief.

 _ **Oh, dear boy. Are you enjoying the show?**_

Shooti blinks and turns around, screaming as he sees a tall figure standing behind him, dressed in a long white robe, a single red eye glaring at him. From what Shooti can see, the person has a green gem on the left side of his forehead and silver hair from beneath the hood. Underneath his left eye is a long scar going across his cheek. In their left hand is a thin silver sword.

"W...who the…" Shooti stammers. "Who are you?"

The figure chuckles and, even though his mouth does not move, Shooti can feel the man's baritone voice echo in his head.

 _ **Call me Primo, dear boy. I take it the Hummingbird Signer brought you here?**_

"Um, yeah…" Shooti answers awkwardly. "Um, not to be rude or anything. But...just what are you?"

Primo sighs as he observes the doors to the room open and Bel rushes through, her face obscured by a black hood. Of course, as this is just a memory, Bel doesn't even notice how Shooti stares at her before the young girl takes her place between two other figures.

 _ **I'm one of the Three Wise Nobles who guards the Gates of Infinity.**_ Primo begins. _**I was asked by the Hummingbird Signer to answer any and all questions you had regarding the Dark King for a small "fee" that she will pay at a later date.**_

"Um...o-okay then," Shooti answers, albeit shakily. "How did Bel do all of this?"

Primo points to Shooti's forehead with his sword. Shooti then places a hand where Primo pointed and feels a strange triangle gem above his left eye.

 _ **A mark that requests one of us to come and serve as a bodyguard for you should anything happen. The Hummingbird Signer has told me that you're a very curious soul.**_

"She has a name," Shooti replies. "Why can't you just call her 'Bel'?"

Primo says nothing as the two look at the scene. The seven Dark Signers remove their hoods as the flames of the candles flare up. Yusei and Kiryu step towards the bust before dropping to one knee. Kamitsure follows them soon after, her heels going _clack clack clack_ across the near empty room.

"Oh Dark King of the Afterlife," she begins, raising her arms to the air. "Here are the first of your resurrected Enforcers. Both Yusei Fudo and Kiryu Kyosuke have relinquished their souls to the cause of opening the Gates of Hamunaptra, and are ready to accept your blessing."

A harsh gust of wind blows throughout the room, snuffing out all of the candles and leaving long wisps of smoke from their wicks to rise into the air which are then gathered above Kamitsure's open hands and the eyes of the bust glow.

 _I see them with my own two eyes, Kamitsure of the Spider..._ says a deep, rumbling voice that is accompanied by the flickering of the bust's large eyes. _And I am quite familiar with Aharon here…_

At this, Kiryu lifts his head as if he is a dog whose master has called his name. Shooti winces, recalling the defiant, loud-mouthed leader of Team Satisfaction just days ago, who panicked at the sight of learning that he was dead to begin with and was last seen at Satisfaction Town swallowed by hundreds of hands to the depths of Hell.

Now, there is barely a spark of rebellion or resistance in Kiryu Kyosuke's eyes. He kneels there, ready to receive any commands from this ruler no matter the cost.

 _And you have also brought me brave Nour._ The bust continues, to which Yusei also lifts his head. The bust chuckles. _My, my...what a day this has been._

Kamitsure smirks. "Anything for the one who gave us a second chance to live."

At this, Shooti can see Bel bring out his teal digicam and take a photo with it (remembering that he had put it to no flash). This act does not get a rise from the other members, although he sees Korni lightly jab her elbow into Bel's side.

Wataru takes a step forward. "Dark King, we recently met with the boy who is willing to join our cause and discover who is causing an imbalance of power here."

The bust of the Dark King grows silent as Shooti watches the smoke gently drift down and curl around the feet of both Yusei and Kiryu. Even though he is a ghost, he can feel a chill fall down his spine as the smoke envelops the two.

 _I know of him..._ The Dark King states. _Yes, this boy is quite interesting indeed if he has won the heart of our dear Bel._

At this, everyone turns to Bel who has placed Shooti's camera behind her back. The Dark King chuckles, his eyes glowing like glowing embers.

 _It's okay, Bel of the Hummingbird._ He states in a soothing tone. _Pictures last much, much longer._

"Back to the Enforcers," says Kamitsure, clicking the heel of right foot that causes another echo across the room. "It is best that they stay low for the time being until the next Full Moon rises. By that time, it will be perfect to bring their 'friends' into the fold. Then, we will tell them about their goals in bringing out the Gates of Hamunaptra to Domino Below." She then moves her gaze to Yusei. "There are no objections to this, right?"

Shooti feels his heart caught in his throat as Yusei slowly stands up. He turns to face the other Dark Signers (and, by extension, Shooti and Primo). When the smoke fades away, Yusei's signature blue coat is now black and the amber gems on its collar, and the ones on his gloves and his pants are the color of blood. The red mark on his shirt has now transformed into that of a spider and when Yusei opens his eyes, they are now the same eerie black that has afflicted the Dark Signers.

Yusei robotically turns his head toward Kamitsure, momentarily closing his eyes before opening them to reveal those odd mirror-like lenses. Four inch glowing razor blades grow from his nails as he speaks in an equally robotic tone, "No, Mistress Kamitsure. I see no objections to this at all."

Natsume then speaks up. "What about you, Kiryu? Cat got your tongue?"

Kiryu mimics his partner's movements, the smoke fading away from his own to reveal his own outfit. The brown vest of the Enforcers is dyed black and lines of blue race down his vest while his double helix tattoos around his arms light up with electricity. Pierced on his right ear is a sapphire and underneath his feet is a cloud of purple fog.

When Kiryu opens his eyes, there is no sign of life in them. When he smiles, it isn't the cocky ones that Shooti has seen online. It is an empty, hollow, absolutely _fake_ smile on what was the former leader of Team Satisfaction.

"I formed Team Satisfaction so that the four of us could bring satisfaction in our lives at that miserable cesspit that is 'Satellite'," Kiryu begins, his voice also lacking the signs of life that were in the original Kiryu. "But now I know that fate has other plans for us...for the Enforces of the Dark King, we are to initiate the plan that will have these lost souls achieve hope and peace that we four could never achieve. To purify their souls for what is to come will ensure that there will be an eternal calm throughout the land. And to those who will defy us, then we will make their eyes open up to the truth.

"So, Dr. Fudo, if you are listening to this speech right now. I thank you for unleashing Zero Reverse onto the land. Without it, I would never have found my calling, and I would have never have found your son." At this, Kiryu takes Yusei's hand into his own and places his spare hand on Yusei's left cheek, a thumb over the now red mark. Yusei turns his gaze toward Kiryu, his eyes still a set of lenses, but his mouth is turned into a tiny smile. "Yusei Fudo, I will always love you...it doesn't matter if it was in a past or if it will be a future life...you are _always_ mine."

The two share a passionate kiss, as if they have just been declared husband and wife and the entire situation is an elaborate and, albeit dark, wedding ceremony. There is light applause and Bel even takes the time to take a photo of the two Enforcers with their lips pressed together, much to Shooti's embarrassment.

At this goes on, Primo clenches his hand over his sword. Shooti notices this but before he can turn around, Primo uses his free hand to brace the boy's head to watch the entire thing.

"Ooh," says Korni, clapping her hands excitedly before she places Bel in a chokehold. "I'm uber envious that Kamitsure and Natsume got a hold on those two cuties! I wonder who will get Jack and Crow! I wonder? I wonder!"

" _I'd_ like a piece of one of them," Nagi chuckles before she takes a glance at Mikuri. "I'd be the envy of everyone at work if they knew that I had my 'Satisfaction' going on."

"Your words never fail to amuse me, Nagi," Mikuri replies, taking Nagi's hand into his own. "There was a reason I fell in love with you."

Shooti feels sick to his stomach; thank goodness he hasn't eaten anything yet.

 _If we have now said our vows..._ says the Dark King, catching everyone's attention. _Korni of the Monkey, how has your Acolyte been feeling lately?_

At this, Shooti recalls the news of Jun's death, Carly's voice in shock at seeing those 25 children gleefully jumping to their deaths, and Korni explaining Jun's inner thoughts before the train ran over him. He drops to his knees and places a hand over his mouth. Primo sighs before petting the boy's head.

"He's...okay for the moment," Korni begins. "The doctor is keeping an eye on him but he's revealed a few tidbits about what we're up against."

 _Like what?_

Korni cross her arms over her chest. "He says that most, if not all, of the 'students' that jumped with him were mostly runaways from Domino Below."

This causes Kiryu to stop his make-out session before he snarls, baring fangs like a predator.

"What type of monster does that to one of our own citizens?!" he shouts. "Who would do such a thing?"

"Jun said it was a representative of the Goodwin Foundation, Demak," Korni answers. "But after that, I lost contact when the good doctor 'placed him' under anaesthetic. I'll be getting more and more info as time goes on, but Jun's afraid of being watched."

 _I do agree with that sentiment._ says the Dark King. _Very well, then. Since there is going to be chaos in regards to this little stunt, we shall keep a low profile for the time being. Go back to your usual routines and wait for my signal._

 _As for both Aharon and Nour, act "naturally" around your fellow Enforcers in the daytime. But at night, enter their dreams and plant the seeds of their destiny, their purpose, their 'connection' to themselves, to each other, and to Hamunaptra._

"How so?" asks Yusei, tilting his head to the side.

 _You're an April Witch, Nour._ The Dark King answers, albeit with a hint of sarcasm. _You figure it out._

It takes Yusei only half a second to realize what that means before a wicked smile forms on his lips.

"Ah, I see now." he states. "Very well, then. It shall be done."

"Of course," Nagi teases, eyeing Yusei's Dark Signer robes. "You two can't go back home looking like _that_. Your friends will flip out and think that you joined a cult of all things!"

Both Kiryu and Yusei nod their heads and close their eyes. Slowly, the black robes of the Dark Signers are transformed into their normal wear almost as if by magic. In that moment, the two look alive.

Of course, Shooti can see something in their eyes. A tendril of darkness in their pupils like some sort of parasite has wormed their way into their minds…

Which isn't far from the truth, as far as he knows.

"Now get going," Wataru commands them. "We'll contact you in a few days for a status update."

"As you wish," says Kiryu, the purple fog beneath his feet rising into the air. "For the glory of the Dark King, we have awakened."

As the fog rises into the air, Shooti feels like everything is spinning out of control. He braces himself as he hears someone calling out for him and the scenery fading away into darkness.

 _Shooti? Shooti, are you okay?_

No, he wants to tell someone. Of course he's not okay. But no one will hear him; not even Bel, who doesn't even turn around to face him.

Primo loosens his grip on Shooti before slowly fading away. Then, Shooti feels like he is falling, falling, falling as someone keeps calling his name.

 _Shooti...Shooti!_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Shooti? Wake up!"

Shooti blinks his eyes and looks up to see Bel slightly shaking him. Next to her is his mother, with a plate of scrambled eggs in hand.

"Are you doing okay?" asks Bel, her green eyes filled with, as much as he can decipher, faux concern. "Is everything all right?"

"Er, yeah," Shooti answers. "I was just...thinking."

"Well, that can be for another time," says Saya, setting the plate down on the table. "Go on, you need to eat something."

Shooti slowly shakes his head and sits down while Bel places a spoon on the table. With a trembling hand, Shooti takes the spoon and scoops some egg into his mouth.

When the taste of his mother's scrambled eggs reaches his mouth, he begins to sniffle. Tears fall down his eyes as he drops the spoon onto the floor with a clatter. He then covers his face with his hands and sobs.

"Shooti!" says Saya. "Shooti, what happened? Was it too much pepper? Or…"

"N...no…" Shooti answers. "It's just...I'm just so happy that I'm alive to taste your cooking, mom…"

 _The boy wastes no time eating more and more of those delicious eggs, hoping that there will always be a next time when he and his mom can have breakfast together like this._

 _Of course, if the boy knew that his time was running out, he would've taken the time to savor each and every bite._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _After breakfast, the boy and Bel walk to school. In most cases, a walk like this should make the boy feel happy. After all, he's walking to school with a cute girl...he knows plenty of guys in his class who would ask what he did to make Bel get so attached to him._

 _Instead, the boy just feels absolutely awkward._

 _Ever since the boy can remember, he and Jun always walked to school together and the two would race each other to see who would make it to school first. Jun usually won, but sometimes he'd let the boy win. Since the school year started, Jun always waited for the boy at the gate, and whenever the boy asks as why Jun didn't want to walk to school together, Jun would make some excuse about "getting help from the teacher" or "he wants to seize the day"._

 _Now the boy realizes that Jun wanted to avoid trying to explain that he was, technically, a zombie._

 _The boy thinks of the camera in his hand, filled with more and more "evidence" of the Dark Signers' lives, trying to understand how they can be so full of life yet ready to enact some plan with the Dark King and get Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan to eventually off themselves for this purpose. Sure, Yusei was more than eager to join on this, but that probably was more based on guilt on seeing his boyfriend fall into the darkness than anything else._

 _It is times like this that the boy wished that things in his life wasn't so...weird._

"So Shooti," says Bel, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. "What did you think about my, er, family?"

"...Family?" Shooti repeats.

"Yeah, family. I mean, they're all I have left now." Bel looks up into the clouds. "My mom died when I was young, I grew up an only child, and my dad…" she pauses. "Well, you know about him."

"I don't know much about my dad either," says Shooti. "Mom doesn't talk about him, although she sometimes wishes she had a helper around the house."

"You help her out a lot, though."

"But it's not enough. I mean, if I had something like Natsume's psychic powers or the ability to convert greed into gems, then my mom would finally have a break."

"Ah, I see…"

Shooti blinks when he sees Bel's forlorn face. "I mean, I don't wanna ask you to conjure up your greed gems to help us out. My mom would start questioning where I got such a horde and, honestly, I can't tell her about you or the Dark Signers as it is. She already has enough as it is knowing that my best friend is..."

Bel nods her head. "I understand. If I was in your position, I'd also be suspicious in taking up offers for some quick cash."

"Yeah...so, er, after the 'ceremony', what did you...do?"

"Oh, we all went to do our things before having a bit of a midnight swim," Bel answers, her mood lifting. "Kamitsure went to sing Molly a lullaby; Molly wanted a song about a spider, so Kamitsure sang that song to her. Now Molly can't stop singing it!

"Korni communicated with Jun a bit and had to write her list of deliveries she needed to make tomorrow. Nagi had a few more 'calls', Natsume was working on a novel she's writing, Mikuri had a video chat with Daigo Tsuwabuki and Wataru was reading _One Hundred Years of Solitude_."

"And what about you?" asks Shooti. "Were you doing your homework?"

"Well, yeah...even though I already went through the subjects about two or three times already."

Shooti blinks, "Bel, quick question...what's your sign? Zodiac sign, I mean."

"Zodiac sign…" Bel places a finger on her cheek and tilts her head. "Well, I already mentioned that I was an Aquarius, but if we're talking Eastern Zodiac, I'm a Tiger. What about you?"

"I'm a Sheep in the East and Scorpio in the West," Shooti answers, slightly embarrassed. "I turn 13 on November 1st."

"The day after Halloween?"

"Yeah. I always had this dream for my 13th birthday to be a masquerade based on the Mexican Day of the Dead where we all had these amazing costumes and skeleton faces. And...please don't tell anyone about this but…"

Shooti leans forward and whispers something into Bel's ear, causing the girl to gasp in surprise before Shooti steps back, cheeks red as he added, "I'd...I'd love it if we did it together."

Bel turns to Shooti and smiles. "Yeah, I promise that will happen on your birthday."

"Also, another quick question. Do you play Duel Monsters?"

"Mm-hmm! I play a Fortune Lady deck."

"Fortune Ladies? Why that?"

"Because…" Bel look at her hands as she formulates her answer. After a minute, she says, "Because there are six Fortune Ladies and, aside from me, there are six other Dark Signers. And to me, each of the Fortune Ladies relate to the Dark Signers and their sins."

Shooti raises an eyebrow. "How so?"

With a flick of her hand, six cards appear in Bel's hands; the cards of the Fortune Ladies from Level 1 to 6.

"Fortune Lady Light is Korni," Bel begins, pointing to the first card. "They're both peppy, energetic and blond. However, Fortune Lady Light is a bit of a lazy soul; when she leaves the field, she gets someone else to do her job for her. Korni can be a bit lazy when it comes to doing her share of the work around the Sanctuary and she's always begging Kamitsure to go make the bed or clean the room or the likes.

"And that leads me to Fortune Lady Fire. Fire can unleash a powerful blast of...well, fire, that destroys a monster and inflict damage onto the opponent. The flames of Wrath are not merciful; they will eventually destroy you in the end.

"Nagi is Fortune Lady Wind. Notice how Wind's effect activates when you Normal Summon her? Growing up, Nagi was envious of all the other girls who got pretty dresses and baubles and would do anything to knock down the competition if she could have her way. Plus, green is Nagi's favorite color."

"Yeah, I kinda saw," Shooti mumbles, recalling Nagi's jungle-themed bedroom.

Bel nods her head. "Fortune Lady Water is Mikuri; Water lets you draw more cards, and Mikuri can sometimes overindulge himself on alcohol (even though we can't get drunk and all). And now that we have Team Satisfaction as our allies, I can imagine Mikuri emptying out their entire alcohol supply in an entire evening if Wataru decided to rile him up!

"Fortune Lady Dark is Natsume, mysterious and alluring. Just like Dark can bring back a 'Fortune Lady' from the dead if she or one of her sisters destroys a monster, Natsume can lure people in with just a look in her eye or a smile.

"And last, Fortune Lady Earth is represented by Wataru. They're the strongest and oldest members of the group and both reflect a desire of knowing everything even when they actually don't. Fortune Lady Earth prides herself on unleashing chip damage compared to Fortune Lady Fire's one-time effect compared to how Wataru can slowly sap away the pride and ego from prey compared to Kamitsure getting her feed of wrath in one go."

"Oh…" says Shooti, watching as Bel stacks the cards together and then covers the cards with her free hand. Then, Bel winks before she brings her hands towards him and blows on them. When her hands open, the cards are gone. "Say...how did you do that?"

Bel just winks at him. "Magic. Oh and look, we're at school."

 _The boy looks at the school campus, watching many of the students arriving with concerned almost panicked looks on their faces. At this time, Jun would be waiting for him, always questioning what took the boy so long to arrive…_

 _Looking back at it, knowing how Jun is a Dark Signer Acolyte, the boy should've questioned just how fast Jun could move in order to get from his house to DCIS on time. The boy feels sick to his stomach, knowing that from now on, every single time he sees Jun, he knows that his best friend will forever be a child; he'll always be grinning to hide the fact that he is different from the rest._

 _The boy stops just one step before entering, watching Bel enter the school as if the gate acts like a barrier...a barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead._

 _Bel turns to the boy and motions him to come forward, beckoning him like Tadzio on a beach in Venice…_

 _And, reluctantly, the boy follows her._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Did you hear the news?"

"Yeah, can you believe that actually happened?"

"So tragic! That he of all people would actually…"

"Shh! Shooti can hear you, you know!"

The whispers and gossip of his fellow classmates sound like the buzzing of bees in Shooti's mind as he takes his seat. He turns around and finds Jun's seat empty, causing him to look away and place his head in his hands. He feels absolutely numb, trying to shake off the realization that, yes, his best friend really is dead and that the suicide of 25 students really did happen last night.

"Shooti? Is there something wrong?"

Shooti looks up, half-expecting to see Bel in front of him. Instead, it is just the lavender haired, glasses wearing Sayaka Sasayama, the class president.

"No," Shooti answers. "I mean, yes, it's…."

Sayaka nods once. "It's about Jun Hayabusa, isn't it?"

Shooti nods in reply, looking at his lap as tears fall down his eyes. Sayaka just places a reaffirming hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to be all right, Shooti," she whispers. "I know what it's like to lose someone close to you by suicide too."

Shooti blinks the tears away. "Y...you do?"

 _From what the boy knows about Sayaka, the girl was practically perfect in every way. She came from a humble background, was kind to everyone around her, and would perform community service in Domino Below once a month, mostly at the soup kitchens. The worst that anyone says about her is that they feel like she pushes herself too far in order to make everyone at school happier, like she is a zashiki-warashi and not a normal girl at all._

 _And as far as the boy knows, Sayaka never really interacted with him at all, except for asking questions about what he does for the Photography Club._

 _So...why is she confronting him_ now _?_

Sayaka sits down on a nearby chair. "I...I had an older sister a few years back. She had everything: the looks, the grades, the love of everyone around her…" She looks down at her hands and clenches them. "But despite all of that, she felt absolutely _lonely_ inside...and no one knew until the last minute when she…"

Shooti says nothing as Sayaka removes her glasses to wipe away a tear. Shooti just shakes his head.

"I've always told myself that if I actually took the time to understood her instead of getting jealous of her...she'd still be around today." Sayaka adds, body trembling. "That if I actually reached out to her, then I wouldn't have seen her body dangling in her bedroom with her favorite scarf used as a noose! I was her sister… I should've been able to save her, but I didn't! I...I'm such a coward…"

Sayaka bursts into tears as she says that last sentence, covering her face with her hands. At this, Shooti embraces the violet haired girl, gritting his teeth as he imagined Jun at the schoolyard yesterday, amber eyes bright and a smile on his face before he walked off.

Looking back, even if Shooti knew about Jun's death, it wouldn't have changed anything. Shooti wouldn't have been able to tell Jun to not go with the suicidal jump, nor could he have any power over stopping the other 24 students from killing themselves. All he could do was just watch and stare at the chaos and madness that happened…

And as he and Sayaka grieve over the deaths of their loved ones, he does not see Bel sitting at her desk two rows ahead of Shooti. The look on her face is not of jealousy nor of disgust…

Instead, she stares at Shooti with interest, a small smile on her face.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _Ten minutes later, the entire school is taken to the auditorium as Principal Cynthia announces the heartbreaking news about the suicides. It is the standard speech about how the entire school is absolutely shocked and in tears about how a precious student of theirs would die, that life is precious, that we must move on despite the tears and frustration…_

 _Blah, blah, blah and fucking_ blah…

 _The boy absolutely zones out on the speech. Instead, with a spare notebook in hand, he writes down all that he can remember about last night._

 _About the Dark Signers and the details about themselves they were willing to give to him…_

 _About Team Satisfaction's future in taking over Domino Below…_

 _About Yusei Fudo revealing that his father caused Zero Reverse…_

 _As the boy finishes rewriting his notes, he looks up to see Shinji Shimabara hastily walking out of the auditorium, his face calm like it always is. The boy wishes that he can tell Shinji about his brother, about how Reiji was not challenged to a duel by Seto Kaiba, but rather marked to die…_

 _But would Shinji believe that sort of thing? Would Shinji accept the idea that his brother was "unalive", waltzing around as the lantern bearer to the Dark Signers?_

 _No. He'd probably run away in anguish, never wanting to do anything with his brother ever again._

 _After a closing remark and a prayer to those who died, the assembly ends. The boy is then whisked off to his other classes for the day, but he pays no attention to it at all. Not even when Miss Ada questions why the boy's homework is half-way done, but stops when she remembers about the suicide._

 _The boy knows that, sooner or later, he will have to be taken in for counseling. As if the counselor is going to help him get over_ everything _in regards to sin-eating vampires and their Ancient Egyptian King of Death._

 _The hours pass by too quickly, and the boy finds himself walking to the cafeteria. He looks around, seeing everyone with their lunches at their tables, with their friends, talking, laughing, whispering, and being together. The boy expects to see Jun jumping up at down at an empty table, shouting for his best friend to sit down before someone else takes that spot…_

 _But of course, that is only in the boy's imagination. Jun is having his "lunch" at a hospital right about now._

 _The boy notices a table which has Haruka Sakurada shuffling her Duel Monsters deck before setting them onto the table. Haruka is known for being a fortune-teller at school, using the same deck that has won her countless victories to answer a student's question in regards to their lives. How successful have they been, the boy doesn't know._

 _But now, the boy wants to know what's about to happen to him, and whether or not the outcome will be of any good or not._

 _So, taking a deep breath, the boy takes his lunch to the table where Haruka sits, staying silent until he seats himself across from her. Then, he clears his throat._

* * *

The brown haired girl lifts her head to see Shooti staring at her. "Oh, Shooti! What's going on?"

Shooti opens his lunch box and pulls out a bento box. He calmly opens it, revealing an omelet fried rice topped with mayonnaise and some grilled fish, courtesy of his mother.

"I…" Shooti begins. "I'm worried."

"That's understandable. Hey, I'm...I'm sorry for what happened to Jun."

"No, don't be." Shooti replies. "He's no longer suffering from...whatever's been bugging him."

Haruka just wordlessly stares at her cards as Shooti pokes at a piece of fish. "So, you came here while I was shuffling my cards. I suppose you're here to ask a question."

"Yeah."

Haruka sighs as she clasps her hands over her face. "Shooti, if you want to ask what was the reason that Jun decided to jump off of a train, I can't answer that for you. I'm a fortune-teller, not a mind-reader."

"I wasn't here to ask that. I'm here to ask about myself."

Haruka tilts her head. "How so?"

Shooti sighs. "I want to know what's going to happen to me. What's in my future. I mean, now that my best friend is d...am I gonna follow in his footsteps?" He hugs himself. "I'm...I'm really scared, Haruka."

Haruka bites her bottom lip before looking at her cards. "I cannot answer that question. Only you can."

She then spreads her arms out as she motions to the cards between them. "Choose the three that resonate with in you. Then, after you're sure that these are the cards you want, we flip them over and see what they have in store for you."

 _The boy isn't really into fortune-telling and all that hocus-pocus. But with his future uncertain, now that he has become entangled with the Dark Signers, Team Satisfaction and some sort of suicide cult, the last thing he needs to find himself following the path to darkness by offing himself._

 _If only the boy knew what he was getting into…_

Shooti looks at the cards with interest. Then, he moves his pointer finger and selects three cards: one to his left, one to his right and one in the middle. Haruka takes each of these cards and sets them to the side before gathering the remaining cards and stacking them into a neat pile. Shooti then moves the three lone cards back between him and Haruka.

"All right," says Haruka, placing her hands above the cards. "Your fate are in these cards, Shooti. Where they shall lead you, only they know. Let us reveal their secrets before us."

She then flips over the first card. It depicts a teenage boy with purple hair wearing a green and yellow hat on his head. He wears a black shirt covered by a long yellow coat, dark green pants with spring green belts and wrapped around his neck is a white and green striped scarf. He props a golden staff marked with a black fleur-de-lis over his shoulder and he chews on a twig while sporting a cocky grin.

"Fool of Prophecy," Haruka murmurs. "So, this means you have started a journey filled with endless possibilities. But remember not to be blind to things you can easily miss."

 _Definitely the story of the boy's life right there._

She flips the second card over, which shows a man with seafoam green hair tied into a ponytail, his eyes covered by a blue visor, and he wears a sky blue sleeveless top, pants and gloves. He wields a red bow trimmed with gold and decorated with a silver fleur-de-lis with a blue orb in the center while his weapon is surrounded by red glyphs. Trailing down his arms and legs are white ribbons with grey symbols.

"Amores of Prophecy, otherwise known as 'The Lovers.' Usually symbolising with you having to make a choice. That and I can tell that someone is on your mind at this very moment; someone very close to your heart."

Shooti turns red as he shoots a glance at Bel talking to Millefeui and Kanata about having a bite to eat at the Café in Wonderland - despite Bel not really needing to eat and all - before staring at the two cards in front of him.

"I guess you can say that," he mutters.

Haruka smiles and flips the last card. Then, she pauses. The Prophecy monster in front of her wears a black cloak alongside a matching hat and half-mask that covers the right side of their face, all of them trimmed with silver. Their weapon is a long scythe with a black blade.

"Reaper of Prophecy," she muses. "There is a big change in your future. I can't tell what the change will be, but…"

"But?" Shooti asks, worried.

Haruka stares at the card with a lengthy pause, then shakes her head. "All I know is that the you that I see right now will be different from the you that will have emerged when the time comes. My only advice is to not be afraid of that change. Be brave and fear not the unknown, because sometimes it may not be as dark and scary as you think it is."

Shooti watches as Haruka gathers her cards before speaking. "That...sounded like something from a show," he comments.

Haruka smiles as she slips the cards into her deck holder. "Well, my family and I finished watching _Over the Garden Wall_ last night. The lesson the main characters learn there also applies here. Oh and if you have a chance, watch it. It's _really_ good."

"Oh. Well, thank you for that then."

"And, one last thing…"

Haruka leans close as she takes a glance at Bel. "I'd be careful around her."

Shooti blinks. "What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed it. The way she just _immediately_ attracts people even though she's only been here for a single day, her skills in math, or how she's beaten the fastest time for the mile run. She's otherworldly, like she's pulling a Homura Akemi on all of us. But why?"

Shooti shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe she's seen some sort of catastrophe that's about to come and she wishes to warn us."

"Not 'us', but just someone. Pray that it's not you, Shooti."

And with this, Haruka digs into her lunch: a bowl of steaming noodles with a dash of chili oil and black vinegar. Shooti pokes at his mother's omelet fried rice before he looks back at Bel taking a bite of _karaage_ with a smile on her face.

Surely this girl isn't really leading him into his trouble...right?

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _The rest of the day goes by slowly. The teachers can't seem to get the students interested in lessons, so classes dissolve into free period where they work on homework, videogames and improving their decks on Duel Monsters._

 _The boy spends his time doing research about the Dark Signers and their relationship with Domino Below on "Chasing Shadows", looking through various posts in regards to them. Even though Carly told him not to associate with them, this was something he had to do._

 _Aside from the talks about the suicides, the most recent event to have struck gold on the website involved something a notorious gang of card thieves known as "Team Snagem" and that it may (or may not) have Dark Signer activity involved. There were reports of two black cloaked beings with green and indigo lines attacking Security, aided by two boys with identical faces with dragons the likes that no one has ever seen before._

 _But the boy isn't interested in that at all (which is going to bite him later on, so that's mistake number 13) except for the fact that Nagi and Mikuri had some explaining to do when the boy had a chance to interview them again…_

If _he had a chance to._

 _The day ends with the science teacher, Makomo-sensei (or Miss Fennel because how she seems to chew on fennel seeds as a way to stave of her past smoking habit), playing_ Metropolis _(the one based on Osamu Tezuka's manga) as the boy recalls his and Bel's first walk home, how she proudly recited her 'poem' without pausing. Or the way Bel winked at the boy for his photo, the way he held her hand as a silent promise…_

 _This girl, in the span of a single day, has invaded the boy's thoughts…_

 _And, if the boy was honest, he_ liked _that feeling._

 _The feeling is interrupted when the bell rings and school is over for the day. The boy silently packs his stuff and ignores the sympathetic looks everyone gives him as he rushes out to the front of the school, hoping, praying,_ begging _, that Jun is going to pop out with a grin and a headlock…_

 _But when the boy reaches the gate, he doesn't see Jun nor does he see Bel._

 _Instead, the person that is waiting for the boy is Jun's father._

Shooti looks in confusion at the person waving towards him. The person has blonde hair like the lion's mane, and wears a white shirt, tan pants and brown shoes. He also wears a bright green coat with six large buttons the color of the sun.

"Yo, Shooti!" says the man. "Get in, I'm taking you home today."

"R...really, Kurotsugu-san?" asks Shooti, turning around. Other students are leaving, but he sees no sign of Bel at all.

Kurotsugu nods his head as he places a hand on Shooti's shoulders. "Yep, and there is to be no complaints at all. Now come on. We have a lot to talk about."

This causes Shooti to talk as Kurotsugu takes his hand and they enter his car. Shooti takes the passenger seat all while feeling his heart beat against his chest. Bel's words from last night race through his mind.

" _Kurotsugu-san knows about what happened to his son, and has been giving us the 'locations' of our 'sweets.'"_

A cold chill falls down his spine as Kurotsugu starts the engine. The radio blares a song, but Shooti doesn't care at all. He feels like he just wants to hurl himself out of a building instead of confront this confusing avalanche of events that has hit him.

Kurotsugu notices this and sighs, "So...you learned the truth."

Shooti silently nods his head. "I did."

"...How much did you learn?"

Shooti wordlessly pulls out his notepad from his backpack and opens it to the first page. "That Jun died while I was in Hokkaido, the identities of the Dark Signers, that Team Satisfaction are about to become kooky cultists worshipping an ancient Dark Lord of Death who wishes to unleashes the gates to the underworld onto Domino Below."

"Anything else?"

"I learned what happened to Reiji Shimabara."

"Did you tell his brother?"

Shooti shakes his head. "I didn't have the heart to tell him."

"Don't. The last thing that boy needs to learn is that his brother is going to be some sort of ego-feeder in the near future."

"Kurotsugu-san, are you okay with these Dark Signers roaming about Domino Below?"

Kurotsugu just sighs. "I'm in the middle of it all. On one hand, they are causing the crime rate to drop. On the other hand, the fact that they have some sort of plan that goes beyond burglary and murder is what frightens me. All these innocent folks probably see the Dark Signers as their saviors...and they're right, in a way."

A pause lingers in the air as Kurotsugu stops at a red light. "So, what do you think about Bel?"

 _The boy pauses. What_ does _the boy think about Bel?_

 _At first glance, Bel is sweet, demure, lively. She's that girl that everyone wants to befriend, with blond hair bright as the sun and the green eyes which shine like emeralds._

 _But, when the boy got to have time with her, he can see that Bel has so many flaws. She is trapped in the body of a twelve-year-old girl, running away from a homelife that did not want her, projecting a persona of a friendly girl next door as therapy, feasting on the sins of people who wish to possess anything that isn't nailed to the ground. She is a girl who can change her appearance into anyone she wants, who does not seem to mind the idea of Team Satisfaction becoming mindless enforcers, but keeps the boy close to her heart...if only because he is useful in solving the mystery of the suicides._

 _Despite this, the boy feels a pull in his heart that makes him_ want _to be with Bel. When he is with Bel, it feels like he is in Wonderland; a straight road that leads him into unexpected and strange places with equally quirky people. The boy doesn't know if he'll eventually go among mad people, but…_

"She's...different from other girls," Shooti finally answers as the light turns green.

"She and the rest of the Dark Signers are nothing but trouble," Kurotsugu notes. "Just because they remove the sins out of people's souls, that doesn't necessarily mean that they _cure_ people of their vices. Given enough time, people will return to their actions and habits and this will cause the Dark Signers to feed and feed and _feed_ on those people until a more permanent solution can be found."

"One of them brought Jun back to life, though," Shooti mumbles, gripping his hands into fists.

"But only to follow in their footsteps," Kurotsugu spits out. "And Jun is all too happy to join in on this little cult, even if he tells me that the Dark Signers aren't one."

"Did you know that Jun was going to jump into that train?"

"...I did."

"Then you could've done something to stop him!" Shooti exclaims, just as Kurotsugu nearly runs a red light. "You could've just gone to Wataru and tell him to not go with the plan!"

"It's not that simple," Kurotsugu grumbles. "Even if I had the power to do so, and I don't, who was going to believe me in the first place? I had no evidence about the suicide circle at all, and I'm no hacking genius. By the time I found someone who could give me intel, it would be too late. The Dark Signers are more 'proactive' when it comes to getting what they want, and Jun himself had no choice on the matter."

Shooti practically tears all of his notes in half before he whispers, "Have you seen Jun at the hospital? Did he look that bad?"

Kurotsugu says nothing as he drives the car toward Shooti's apartment. Once he put the car on park, the older man finally answers,

"He looked like absolute _shit_ , my boy."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Minutes later, Shooti knocks on the door and waits for his mother to open it. The petit woman smiles and hugs her son tight.

"Welcome home," she whispers before she urges Shooti and Kurotsugu to enter. "You're just in time! Dinner is ready."

"Dinner? So soon?" asks Shooti. He sniffs the air and sighs. His mother is making her homemade beef stew again.

Saya nods her head. "I have to go back to the hospital late tonight, so I thought it would be wise that the three of us can have dinner together. We haven't had dinner like this in such a long time."

"What about Carly? Is she going to be 'babysitting' me tonight?"

Saya shakes her head as she goes to the kitchen and opens a drawer. "She says that yesterday's 'incident' is going to leave her busy for the rest of the week. But she promised to come on Saturday." She pulls out a ladle. "That does mean you're going to be alone for the time being."

"No, that's fine. I'm kinda used to it at this point."

 _That isn't a lie, as far as the boy knows. After Shuta's disappearance, the boy sometimes finds himself entering his older brother's room and lie on the bed, trying to find a moment of peace as his life spirals out of control, doing his best to enter his older brother's shoes to figure out why he left._

 _Is this how all of those people who jumped off the train felt like? Being so lonely that they'd rather end it all then try to confront people about it? Is this how Shuta is feeling right now?_

Shooti removes his shoes before placing his backpack on the sofa. Then, he walks to the dining room and sees that the table is set for three. In the middle of the table is a large pot of his mother's beef stew and each plate has a generous serving of rice on it. Sides include some potato croquettes and mixed green salad.

"Come on, come on!" Saya exclaims as she places the ladle into the stew. "Dinner won't serve itself, you know."

Kurotsugu nods his head in approval as he seats himself down. Shooti also follows, trying to ignore the fact that Jun usually would be shouting in joy to eat his mother's cooking. Now, if Jun should even arrive to have dinner, he'd just be going through the motions of eating (which earnestly reminds him of what happened to Eiji Hino upon learning how he was becoming more and more of a Greeed, unable to eat, hear or even see like a human could) and his mother would be oblivious to it all, even after Jun goes for seconds and thirds.

" _Itadakimasu_ ," Saya states once she sits down and pours the stew into her son's face. "Eat up, love. This is your favorite after all!"

Shooti mumbles, "I will", and begins to eat. But the second that the first spoonful of rice and beef stew enters his mouth, he drops the spoon onto his plate once more, feeling like he is going to be sick.

"Shooti?" Saya gasps, seeing the tears freely falling down her son's face. "What's wrong?"

Shooti swallows before he as he looks at his lap. "I...I'm so sorry, mom. It's...it's just that...it feels like we're eating as a family again. It...it makes me so happy."

Saya says nothing else as Shooti continues to cry. Kurotsugu just gives the boy another pat on the shoulder as Shooti tries his best to stomach the rest of his dinner.

 _That night would be one of the last few nights that the boy could truly have dinner with his mother in that dining room._

 _Because after that, the times that he will be able to spend with his mother will shrink and shrink like Alice did in her trip throughout Wonderland._

 _Until, finally, the last time he actually interacted with his mother was just mere hours before the boy ended up dying alone and his mother oblivious to the horrors and truths that the boy uncovered._


	7. This is Acting

_**You know that song "It's a small world, after all?" (That's a rhetorical question, before you ask. And now I have that song stuck in my head, thank you very much.)**_

 _ **Sometimes, you find yourself connected to people in ways you never thought possible. Everything is connected, one way or another.**_

" _ **There is no such thing as coincidence; there is only fate." That was a phrase I once read in a manga.**_

 _ **And in a way, I find myself wondering if I was connected to myself, in how I presented myself to the world, whether I wore a mask when I interacted with others or when I was just...myself.**_

 _ **This idea is even more important considering how we can talk to people we barely know as long as we stare at a screen in front of is. Through these connections, we find ourselves less lonely and perhaps find a shoulder to cry on. In that world we are whoever we wish to be, even though we return to being ourselves when the conversation is done.**_

 _ **There's a line of an Audioslave song that goes, "To be yourself is all that you can do." and I agree with that statement.**_

 _ **I just wished that myself was more aware of what was to come.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **4th Shot**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **This is Acting**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _Three days pass without any big incidents._

 _The news still plays up on the "suicide club" (as it has been decreed) that jumped off the train with investigations going on regarding who jumped and how they are connected. There are rumors that one of the victims involved is the daughter of Senator Hideo Izayoi, but they are only rumors (it turns out she was never there at all)._

 _Jun is doing all right and would be returning to school in a few days. The boy talked to him on the phone once, but it only lasted three minutes before Jun was called away for more "tests'. At the very least, Jun_ sounded _okay._

 _Domino Below is having its own problems with some strange organization named Cipher, but whenever the boy breaches this subject to Bel, Bel would change the subject without hesitation. Whether or not Bel actually knows what is going on, that the boy can't tell._

 _And anyway it doesn't involve the boy for the time being._

 _Carly doesn't come to babysit the boy during those 72 hours, stating that her work in "Chasing Shadows"_ _would keep her busy. That and she probably is avoiding the boy else he starts questioning her about the Dark Signers._

 _The boy's interactions with Bel are…"normal". Bel walks with him to school, they share lunch together, and they spend two or three hours texting one each other at home. During those times, Bel doesn't say much in what is going on with the other Dark Signers, and Primo is busy with some kind of timey-wimey business so the boy can't get a call of him right now._

 _The atmosphere at school is still tense, and many of the secondary students who seem to be "out of it" are taken to counseling to help them out before they decide to follow the "trend" by jumping off the school roof. With news about Jun's sole survivor status spreading like a plague throughout the campus, the boy has been on edge with many students discussing what Jun did to try to kill himself even though they are oblivious to the truth of Jun's "status" as undead._

 _As for "Chasing Shadows"? There's been no information about leads to the suicide club and the boy has been too busy trying to_ avoid _the website to actually pay attention to what's been going on in Domino Below. Even going to the website of the Goodwin Foundation has proven to be a bust (because of course they aren't going to advertise it out in the open that they're secretly a front for a suicide club)._

 _Still, the end of the week signals a slight reprieve from the pity he receives from everyone. Perhaps the boy will spend more time with his mother or just walk amongst the city and take some photographs to get his mind off of everything. The boy needs_ something _to get his mind off of this crazy week he has been having._

 _But before the boy can race back home that Friday, it is time for after-school club activities. The boy is part of the Photography Club and they need someone to photograph the Drama Club to help promote the school's production of_ The Halloween Tree _for the DCIS Halloween Night of Hullabaloo in three weeks._

 _And, by complete coincidence, the boy is chosen to take these photos._

* * *

At school, Shooti walks down the hall until he finds the drama classroom, taking a quick look on the notice board next to it, where there is a list of people playing which roles for _The Halloween Tree_ pinned with with a tack _._ Unlike the book (where there are eight boys venturing into the past), the play follows the format of the animated film (having four kids this time around), except with three girls as part of the main cast.

So far, the cast reveals the supernatural reporter-in-training Hikari as Jenny (the witch), nightmare fan Serena as Tawnya Skellington (the...skeleton), fun-loving dancer Tierno as Wally (the gargoyle), fortune-telling Haruka as Rachel (the mummy), an energetic newcomer named Kotetsu as Joe Pipkin, and a senior student named Virgil as Mr. Moundshroud. The position for narrator is still blank, however.

Shooti does note the strangeness of Haruka and Serena playing roles which originally were boys, but easily dismisses it. After all, this is the same school that once performed both _Hamlet_ and _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern_ _are Dead_ with genders flipped, so nothing new there.

Shooti takes a look at the poster advertising the play (depicting a large tree with glowing jack-o'-lanterns under a full moon that was created by Kenji, one of the members of the school's art club) and takes a photo of it. Then, he quietly opens the door and steps inside, watching as many of the students, and the Drama teacher, Senri, are sitting down as they listen to someone recite a monologue.

Said person is Bel.

Shooti approaches Senri, handing the teacher a permission slip. Senri nods once and pulls up a chair for Shooti, who begins to take photographs of Bel standing on stage, her eyes focused on the audience, and pretending to not take notice of the new arrival (although Bel feels her spirits lift upon seeing Shooti and his camera).

"...and that thousands of years ago in a former life I was a one-armed Siberian shaman." Bel recites, hand placed over her heart. "I believe that mankind's destiny is in the stars. I believe that candy did taste better when I was a kid, that it's aerodynamically impossible for a bee to fly, that light is both a wave and a particle, that there's a cat in a box somewhere who's alive and dead at the same time (although if they don't ever open the box to feed it it'll eventually just be two different kinds of dead), and that there are stars in the universe billions of years older than the universe itself. I believe in a personal god who cares about me and worries and oversees everything I do. I believe in an impersonal god who set the universe in motion and went to hang out with his girlfriends and doesn't even know I'm alive. I believe in an empty and godless universe of casual chaos, background noise, and sheer blind luck. I believe in…"

"Stop right there," Senri interrupts. Bel blinks as Senri continues. "I felt like your presentation could have been better if you didn't stress 'I believe' at the beginning of some parts then start rushing off to finish the sentence. Your expressions also needs a bit of work; you want to state what type of profound ideas that you believe in, not rattle on like a robot executing commands.

"But aside from that, everything else was flawless. I believe we have our new narrator, don't you agree?"

The rest of the class nod their heads as Bel smiles widely. Shooti smiles back as Bel practically skips to her seat, five seats away from Shooti, beaming with excitement.

And, when Bel winks at him, it is the go-to for Shooti to take his picture.

* * *

 _That smile, that moment of pure joy, those green eyes that shine with happiness...these are the types of expressions that the boy wishes to share with Bel more often._

 _But he knows that that can only happen if he decides to join the Dark Signers, where they have eternity to be forever._

 _The boy still thinks about Kaibaman, Carly and Kurotsugu and how they have all warned the boy to run away while he has a chance. Despite all of these warnings that these Dark Signers will lead him to his doom, the boy cannot do as they say._

 _His brother is out there, his best friend is involved, he has seen what has happened to half of Team Satisfaction, and the girl who has slowly captured his heart is asking for his help._

 _The boy says nothing else for the last fifteen minutes of class, as Hikari proceeds to narrate from a Catherynne Valente story, "Bones like Black Sugar", where an older Gretel has developed Stockholm Syndrome over the witch who wished to eat her and her brother._

 _In a way, it is a terrifying tale, as it reminds the boy that Kiryu and Yusei are now puppets to the Dark King and how they are no longer terrified of their undead state, but now yearn for the Dark King to devour them mind, body and soul._

* * *

"I know each time I breathe the air of that furnace that I will always taste of this house, I will taste of witch and grief, I will taste of the laughing fire even as I taste of wife and sister," Hikari recites, her voice sounding guilty yet simultaneously filled with desire for something absolutely wrong. Her hands are clasped in prayer as if she's confessing her sins to a priest. "The smell of flesh cooking will cling to my nose, the cloy of gold teeth melting will stick in my sleeves.

"I will never recover from this, I will never be well, I will _never_ grow up."

And the emphasis on that last "never" makes Bel flinch slightly.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _After drama class ends, the boy returns to the Photography Club and uploads the photos onto the school's hard drive before racing to meet Bel at the front of the school. Bel is looking at the sky when he approaches her._

"Hey," says Shooti, noticing Bel turn to him. "Something on your mind?"

"...I wish that I could be part of the production," Bel sighs. "But the main parts have already been taken."

"Well, you're technically a main character as the narrator," says Shooti, hiding a blush forming on his cheeks. "After all, you have a really nice voice."

Bel blinks. "You think so?"

Shooti nods his head. "I love the way you talk and how you drag people into the worlds you describe. This narrator role is perfect for you! I mean, Ray Bradbury's prose just drag you in, right? I remember reading 'I Sing the Body Electric!' months ago and felt so many emotions pouring through me when I finished the story. I even watched the episode of _The Twilight Zone_ with the same name - even though the episode was conceived first, then the story - and…" He smiles. "It was very beautiful."

"Kamitsure once read that story to Molly. Molly ended up crying for quite some time after it ended. Did that happen to you, Shooti?"

Shooti just nods his head and looks away as if embarrassed. Bel just smiles and slowly slips a hand into his.

"It's okay if it made you feel like that," she says. As the two begin to walk, she looks off into the distance. "Stories have a power to make you _feel_ , and to feel is one of the most important aspects of living. That you are here and _alive_ , and that makes everything better, doesn't it?"

Shooti stays silent as Bel stops talking. Then, he asks, "Do you...regret dying?"

Bel shakes her head. "I only regret not being able to live before Ascilla piscu resurrected me. My wish was to see and do more, not just be cooped in my house with all the toys I wanted but with no _experience_ at all. I don't have any idea how this will all end up, but I want to be able to spend as much as I can...with you."

At this, Shooti blushes. The two continue to walk, all while a crow watches them on a street lamp before flying off.

"So Bel," Shooti adds. "Can you tell me something?"

Bel giggles. "I've told you so much about myself within the span of these four or five days. What else do you want to know?"

"Um, Bel, this is gonna sound kind of awkward. But...were there other boys before me?"

At this, Bel freezes and squeezes Shooti's hand in a powerful grip. Shooti winces as Bel wipes a tear down her eye.

"There was one, back at my original home," she answers. "His name was Cheren, and he was quite the opposite of me. Studious, serious, had a goal in life, was going to rise up and become some great CEO one day and all of that. Despite this, he was my only friend at school even though we were absolutely nothing alike. In fact, many girls teased me that I was only going out with Cheren so that I could get my grades up (which is a downright lie, I'm actually a very capable student).

"And…" Bel swallows. "It's all thanks to him that I ended up here."

"What do you mean?"

Bel sighs as she looks off into the distance. "On the night that I snuck out for the performance art show, Cheren had found a flyer advertising it in my locker. He then went to my house right when my father was in a blind panic for me. Cheren put two and two together and…"

Shooti stays quiet. "Oh. I see."

"Whenever I look at you, I think of him. I think of what he's doing right now and whether or not I should go back to see him. The last time I saw him, it was after I erased his memories of me."

"You what?!"

"I had no choice!" Bel exclaims, gritting her teeth. "It was better that way! Better that Cheren got to live the life where he was successful and had no problems with some no-good, ditzy girl who had her head in the clouds all the time. I was so useless, so helpless at that time. There's no way Cheren and I were going to have a happy life anyway. There were better girls out there for him."

"But to me, you're exactly who I want."

At this, Bel gasps as Shooti wraps her into a tight hug.

"I feel so strongly for you," he says. "I know I've only known you for less than a week, I know that you want me for your schemes of the Dark Signers, and I know that you don't mind seeing Team Satisfaction being slaves to the Dark King…

"But I know that I _honestly_ want you by my side. And I know that you're not what you say you are!"

At this, Bel pushes herself away from Shooti, turns around and asks in a cold voice, "Then...what am I?"

 _This causes the boy to freeze._

 _Compared to when he was in Bel's bedroom those nights ago, the boy has to say the right thing else he is making Bel feel worse about herself..._

 _But what is the right thing to do or say when your entire life is upside-down?_

Shooti sighs and says, "You're the reason why I am here, and not jumping off the school rooftop right now. You brought me into your home without hesitation and I found myself intrigued into the life of a Dark Signer. You always answer my questions without hesitation, even when they're personal. You keep walking with me to school and home so I wouldn't be lonely. You express yourself fully to me and I've never given you anything in return."

"That's not true," Bel points out. "You let me have dinner in your home the first time."

"But after that, I just keep asking you question after question even though I feel selfish because I could be using it as a way to make myself famous by exposing the Dark Signers lives as if it were celebrity gossip." Shooti replies before hastily adding, "But I don't plan on it! I just want to know you better, Bel. Because…"

Shooti swallows as he grips onto Bel's shoulders and says,

"Bel, you saved my life."

Bel gasps before Shooti leans close enough for them to kiss. And he does…

On the cheek.

If Bel can see the look on her face, she would be looking like a love-struck teenage girl as Shooti steps back, looking proud and embarrassed at his bold move. As Bel places a hand on her cheek, Shooti immediately steps back.

"Oh my god, I am so so sorry!" he says. "I...I didn't mean to go that far. Please don't be mad at me, Bel! I…"

Bel giggles before she leans towards Shooti and returns the kiss with one of his own. On the cheek, that is.

"Thank you," she whispers. "I really needed to hear that."

 _The boy feels like he is on cloud nine at this point. His first kiss from a girl that wasn't his mom or Carly, came from the girl who he wanted it from the most._

 _But as he kissed her, the boy thought, and this was only a thought, he saw Bel replaced with someone else._

 _It was brief, but it was a girl with black hair and and equally black cloak and veil decorated with feathers of a crow. There, she stood above water as a black crow that was perched on her shoulder flew off. She was like some sort of goddess, but one unlike the boy has ever heard of before._

 _The image disappears like the flash of a camera, leaving the boy bewildered at what he has just seen._

"Shooti?" Bel asks, waving a hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?"

Shooti blinks and shakes his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just...this is the first time this has happened to me."

"You mean the first time a first girl has physically shown her love for you?" Bel teases.

"That and more."

The two continue to walk once more, heading pass the bridge that shows off a beautiful sunset. At this, Shooti would like to take a photo of it, but instead, he just gently bumps Bel's shoulder with his own, causing them to smile.

"I bet you're gonna ask Primo to rewind that moment over and over again when you get home," Bel notes, placing a finger above Shooti's left eyebrow, at the green gem on his forehead. "I'm sure you noticed by now that only you and I can see it, right?"

Shooti nods his head. "Yeah. Oh, I've been wondering...what's Primo's deal with Yusei?"

Bel tilts her head. "What do you mean by 'deal'?"

"When I saw that memory of you at that 'Ritual Room', I noticed that Primo looked very, how do I put it, _jealous_ of Kiryu and Yusei. Seeing as you made that contract with Primo for me, I thought you…"

"I may be a Dark Signer, but that doesn't make me omniscient," Bel winks at him. "If you want to know what Primo's deal is, you need to ask him yourself. All you have to do is place your two fingers on the gem and call his name, and he'll come for you. And no, you can't ask him for the answers on next week's math test."

"Why should I ask him when you've helped me out during free period?"

Bel laughs once more as they walk down the stairs that leads them to Shooti's apartment. Then, Bel adjusts her glasses.

"This is where we part for today," she says. "So...do we do it again on Monday?"

"I hope we do it every single day," Shooti states. "But until then, take care of yourself."

"Same goes to you," Bel replies. "See you then,"

 _The two wave good-bye as Shooti heads towards his apartment, feeling his heart beat against his chest as he feels like he has become braver than before. Going so far as to kiss Bel, and to be kissed back…_

 _But that's when he stops._

 _The boy closes his eyes shut as he tries to recall the girl that stood before him, the one with black hair and cloak standing on the water...he's certain that he's never seen someone like her before, whether it be in real life, a movie or a video game, and yet..._

 _The boy just shakes his head and brushes the thought aside as he heads towards the door, wanting to just rest up before the weekend started and he can (momentarily) get his mind off of this entire week and prepare for when Jun returns on Monday, knowing that, for the time being, this will turn out okay._

 _...not knowing that he was making another mistake in the process._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"I'm home," says Shooti, opening the door to the apartment. He can hear the sounds of a movie playing ( _Edward Scissorhands_ , which his mother plays whenever she needs a pick-me-up).

"Welcome back!" says Saya, poking her head from the living room. "How was school today?"

"It was fine, mom," Shooti answers, slipping his shoes onto the shoe rack. "So, no work today?"

"I asked for a day off," Saya answers, placing the DVD player on Pause. "What about you? You haven't been needing tutoring for math, right?"

"No. Bel's been helping me on it."

"Really? Wow, maybe I should start paying her for giving my son an easier way to understand algebra!" Saya chuckles as Shooti sits down next to his mom. Then, with a cat-like smile on her face, she wraps her son in a tight hug.

"Mom, stop that!" Shooti says, trying to wiggle his way out of his mom's grasp.

"Say the magic word, love!" Saya replies, lightly tugging on the strands of Shooti's green hair.

"Fine, fine, 'Harryhausen'!" Shooti says. "Mom, I'm not a cat!"

"Of course you aren't," Saya says, releasing the hug and smiling. "You're my Shooti."

Shooti smiles as he leans on his mother's shoulder. "So, what are we doing for dinner tonight?"

Saya giggles. "Well, I hear that there's this cool bar in Domino Below that's hosting a Dueling Night."

At this, Shooti freezes. "Uh, what's the name of this place?"

"Oh don't play that game with me Shooti. You and Carly went there last Saturday for one of Carly's scoops!"

And at that, Shooti gulps. "...Satisfaction Town?"

"Ding-ding-ding!" Saya says, poking Shooti on the nose three times. "What do you say? I hear that they make some of the tastiest rice burgers in Domino Below! And besides, we haven't eaten out since…"

"...since Shuta's disappearance," Shooti finishes, looking at the framed photo on the table of him, Shuta and Saya at Kaibaland.

Saya nods her head and kisses the top of her son's head. "Come on, don't keep me waiting!"

 _Despite the alarm bells ringing in his head, the boy decides to answer with..._

"Sure...why not?" says Shooti, watching his mom smile back. "What's the worse that can happen?"

 _...Don't you dare answer that._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _After changing into some normal clothes, the boy and his mother travel across the Daedalus Bridge that connects Domino Below and Neo-Domino together. The boy's mother hums along to a song on the_ Kamen Rider Fourze _soundtrack ("Switch On!", which is her favorite song...even if she can be a bit tone-deaf) while the boy stares past his window, trying to make sense as to what has happened over the past few days._

 _He had just kissed a girl (on the cheek) and he was kissed back, then there was that image of a girl with that crow...for some odd reason, the boy knows that face, as if that face has been with him since he was a child._

 _But that is absolutely ridiculous; if the boy had met someone like that strange woman before, he would have remembered it. And surely, he would have been able to see her before he met Bel._

 _So...how does Bel fit into this?_

* * *

" _Tomaranai Growing Choushigekiteki_

 _Hibi nayami Growing Chousubarashii SCHOOLDAYS!"_

With his mother singing the last lines of the song, Saya puts the car into park and pats her son on the shoulder.

"Come on, come on, come on!" she says, turning the engine off. "Let's go! Duel Night commences!"

"Even though I'm not participating in it at all," Shooti mutters as he removes his seatbelt. Still, to see his mother so cheery days after the suicide makes him feel slightly better…

And also a little guilty for not telling her the truth about what he's uncovered during the past few days.

Still, tonight he is going to focus on spending time with his mother. And, seeing all of the other cars in the parking lot, it looks like Satisfaction Town is having a lot of business tonight.

"Okay then," says Saya, locking the car. "Time to get our _Satisfaction_ going on!"

The two walk into the bar and see various patrons already enjoying their meals. Compared to the scene a few nights ago, Shooti can see that it is based off of the saloons found in old Western movies, mixed with images of Duel Monsters and a large picture of Team Satisfaction on the opposite wall. The speakers are playing some kind of rock song that Shooti can't identify due to the noise. (If he could, then he would be surprised that it's Queen's "I Want To Break Free")

Waitresses are serving food with blinding speeds, families are enjoying their food, and some patrons are preparing their Duel Disks and decks for tonight. In the center of the bar is a large space like a dance floor as one member of Team Satisfaction shouts into a microphone in hand.

Kiryu Kyosuke.

Shooti stays nothing as he and Saya are lead to a table by a waitress named Rhoda, but he thinks he is seeing things when he notices two peculiar teenagers at a table. One is a boy with grey hair, amber eyes, wearing a long blue coat with the left sleeve lined with red. The other is a girl with short red hair in pigtails, a pendant of a crescent moon on her neck, a denim jacket with pink trim and large blue eyes staring into his soul…

Which somehow flicker into the color of ink and red markings accent her eyelids.

But before Shooti can question what he has just seen, he and his mother are at their seats. Rhoda hands them both the menus before she rushes off to pick up an order. Shooti opens the menu and looks at the appetizer section while his mother is practically drooling at the pictures of rice burgers.

While this goes on, Kiryu is already announcing the beginning of Duel Night. Shooti places the drinks menu down and watches the leader of Team Satisfaction move about. Compared to that version of him swearing allegiance to the Dark Signers and their Dark King three days ago, he acts more like the ringleader of a circus.

"So boys and girls of all ages, don't be shy!" Kiryu shouts. "Step up and try your luck tonight at Satisfaction Town where we can all get our Satisfaction on! Who will the first one to duel?"

"ME!"

That comes from a young boy with a white coat and shorts and a blue shirt with a gold design on it. He has a blue and yellow Duel Disk strapped to his left arm and his sea-green hair is tied into a high ponytail. He hops out of his seat where two other people (a girl with a matching outfit and hair, but their hair is in two pigtails and the shirt is magenta, and a burly man with blue hair that spikes up like someone has jabbed needles into his head) sigh in annoyance. The boy takes his place on the dueling floor and takes the microphone into his hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls of all ages!" The boy cheers. "Outside these walls, I am simply called Rua. But tonight, you are about to see the dazzling debut of The Amazing Leo and his Morphtronic monsters! And who dares to step up and take this challenge?"

"I do!"

Shooti turns and looks in alarm to find Haruka approaching the dueling floor, eating from a small plate of nachos before wiping her mouth with a napkin. Haruka grins as she points at Rua, her face basically saying, "Come at me, bro!" with enthusiasm. Many of the patrons just coo at her, while her mother and father take photos and her little brother, Masato, cheers her on.

"Isn't she that girl you dueled months ago?" Saya whispers, seeing her son freeze up. "The one known as the 'Princess of Prophecy'?"

"The very same," Shooti murmurs as he watches Rua laugh.

"You must be either very daring, brave or foolish to challenge the likes of me!" The boy gloats. "Why don't you go back and play with your dolls because my monsters are going to clean your clock, girly girl!"

This causes many of the diners to gasp, his sister to sigh, and the man, next to Rua's sister, to shake his head in disapproval. Haruka, with a tortilla chip in her teeth, takes a bite, quickly swallows, then sets the plate on the nearest table.

"...What did you just say?" she asks, activating her Duel Disk.

"Ooh, is someone afraid of little old me?" Rua mocks, oblivious to the fiery aura surrounding Haruka. "Well, you should be! Come on, let's do this!"

"Be careful, Rua!" Rua's sister exclaims. "She looks pretty strong!"

"I'll win this easy, Ruka!" Rua boasts, drawing his cards. "There's no way she can beat me!"

 _The boy would have warned Rua that this type of thinking usually ended up with someone's ass handed to them on a platter, but decided not to. Rua needed to learn this lesson the hard way._

"The Wheels of Fate are turning," Haruka recites, drawing her cards. "Let's fight."

Their lifepoint counters raise to 8000 as Rua takes his first move. As he draws a card, Shooti looks past Haruka and notices someone else watching the duel.

That person turns out to be Bel, alongside Kamitsure and Korni.

Shooti rises from his seat, only for Bel to shake her head and point to the duel. Shooti nods and seats himself down just as the duel starts.

"I summon Morphtronic Celphon in Attack Mode!" Rua says, slapping a card onto his Duel Disk.

A yellow flip phone appears before transforming into a robot with two pairs of wings and his chest, torso and legs made out of the phone's keypad. (100 ATK)

"And check this out. Once per turn, I can choose to let my Celphon dial a number between 1 and 6. Whatever number it lands on lets me draw that amount of cards. Then, I can Special Summon any Level 4 or lower 'Morphtronic' monsters that were drawn onto the field. So…."

Morphtronic Celphon beeps as a light flashes on its chest before it lands on '3'.

"Cool!" Rua cheers as he draws three cards. "All right, now I summon Morphtronic Magnen onto the field in Attack Mode!"

A new monster, a dark blue humanoid with a streamline metal body, descends to the field. (800 ATK)

"I end my turn with a face-down card. And then you'll see my powerful combo! Shiver in fear, girly! I'm winning this duel."

At this point, Rhoda returns to take Shooti and Saya's order (a basket of garlic fries to share, a rice burger for Saya and a black hole burger for Shooti with a black and white milkshake for later). After Rhoda leaves, Shooti watches Haruka staring at the cards in her hand before giving Rua a smirk.

"For my first turn," she says. "I summon...Magician of Prophecy in Attack Mode!"

A young boy in blue and white robes appears with a book in hand. Topping a head of white hair is a large white and blue hat. He looks somewhat bored at Rua and proceeds to read through his book. (500 ATK)

"And when my Magician is Summoned, I can take one 'Spellbook' card from my deck to my hand."

A card pops out of Haruka's deck which she quickly she adds to her hand. Then, she pulls out that card and two more Spellbook cards before showing them to a confused Rua. They are all Spellbooks of different colors.

"Oh no!" Ruka exclaims. "I know of this combo!"

"You do?" says the man (probably their caretaker, Shooti guesses).

Ruka nods her head. "Jin-san, students at ISDC spread rumors about this girl, the duelist with the Tarot Deck and her victories over all who try to challenge her. They call her the 'Princess of Prophecy', and she goes by the name of…"

"Haruka Sakurada," Haruka finishes with a smile of a vampire about to have a bite to eat. "And she's about to play her favorite monster, High Priestess of Prophecy!"

Appearing in a pillar of light is a woman dressed in a white outfit: a white halter top, white opera gloves, a white skirt, white knee-length boots and a white hat that covers her hot pink hair. Each article of pristine clothing is decorated with silver trim and green orbs. Her green eyes scan through the contents of a Spellbook before she stands up and unleashes a smile that reads "I'm gonna kill you." (2500 ATK)

"And I am assuming that face-down card is to protect you from damage, no?" asks Haruka, raising an eyebrow.

Banishing a Spellbook card from her hand, Haruka points at the face-down card and High Priestess complies. Rua looks in horror as a tennis ball sized orb of magic flies at his card, destroying it.

"All right then," says Haruka. "Magician of Prophecy, destroy Morphtronic Celphon with Infinity Blast!"

Magician of Prophecy draws a white infinity symbol in the air before flinging it at the cellphone monster. Rua grunts as his lifepoints drop to 7600.

"And High Priestess, destroy Magnen!"

High Priestess of Prophecy raises both hands into the air before firing a concentrated beam of magic at the lone monster, obliterating it. Rua's lifepoints drop to 5900.

"I end my turn with a face-down card," says Haruka. "So, ready to make a comeback?"

Rua snarls and curls a hand into a fist. "T...this is just a minor setback! I'm gonna make sure my monsters make you eat dirt!" He draws a card. "It's my move!"

 _Needless to say, despite his words, Rua ended up losing in a spectacular fashion when Haruka's High Priestess, and later Hierophant, tore through his machines like scrap metal. The kid never stood a chance._

"Ow…" Rua groans as his lifepoints drop to zero. Haruka giggles and bows to the applauding crowd.

"Thank you, thank you!" she exclaims. "The Princess of Prophecy has slain another foolish knight who wishes to obtain her hand. Now…" she grins. " _Who's next?!_ "

"We'll take a five minute break from here," says Kiryu, watching Rua return to his seat. His eyes then widen slightly when they see Shooti at the side. "And then, whoever wishes to duel our precious Princess of Prophecy must step up to the dance floor and show us their moves! Thank you."

Haruka walks back to her parents as Shooti looks to see Bel's face. She taps the left pointer finger to her cheek and nods her head. Shooti then clears his throat.

"Hey mom," he says. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Okay then," says Saya, looking at something on her cellphone. "But be quick! Our food's gonna come soon!"

Shooti nods his head as he makes his way towards Bel's table, ignoring the really creepy stare that Kiryu is giving him. Bel smiles and hugs Shooti, while Korni is too distracted playing _Xenoblade Chronicles_ on her 3DS.

"Isn't this a coincidence?" says Bel, lowering her arms. "Who knew that we were both gonna be 'eating' here tonight?"

"What are you doing here?" Shooti whispers, looking back to see whether his mother is paying attention (she isn't). "Is there anything strange going on in Domino Below? About the suicides? About Team Satisfaction?"

"Didn't you hear me earlier?" says Bel. "You have to ask them yourselves."

She points to Crow at the bar, preparing a mug of beer for a patron. Next to Crow is Yusei, who is interacting with a female patron with a smile on his face.

Shooti gulps and Bel nods at him as if to say, "Go on." He sighs as he approaches the bar, where Crow is wiping his hands off with a cloth. Upon seeing the boy in the orange jacket approach them, Crow chuckles.

"Aren't you a little young to be here?" he asks.

"I came to ask some questions," Shooti answers. "I mean, I was there when Kiryu went...missing."

"Really? Oh!" Crow smiles. "You're that kid who was interviewed by Security last week, right?"

"Yeah. The name's Shooti Hayami. I already know who you are."

"Crow 'The Bullet' Hogan," says Crow, extending his hand out. Shooti takes it and they shake hands. "So, what brings you here tonight?"

"Well, my mother and I wanted to eat here and…" Shooti lowers his voice. "I wanted to ask what happened ever since that night."

 _This isn't a lie, per se. What exactly did Kiryu and Yusei do once they returned to Domino Below? What type of madness has ensued now that they became the watchdogs of the Dark Signers?_

Crow frowns as he leans over the bar. "Well, you didn't hear this from me, but after Yusei returned with Kiryu four nights ago, the two of them changed."

"...How so?" asks Shooti.

"I know that Kiryu and Yusei have been together for a while, but they're getting _way_ too close. I mean, do you know what it's like to see them going at it in the middle of the night?"

"I can only imagine."

"Not only that, but they seem to be a bit more...aggressive, so to speak. Like, just two nights ago they freaked out and started to physically beat up these strange duelists dressed in blue soldier uniforms. Then, they bolted and Jack and I ended up following them. When we finally found them, Kiryu and Yusei were squaring off against two strange black clothed figures."

Shooti feels like the equivalent of a plate dropping onto the floor. "Black clothed figures? W...were there any other colors on them?"

"One of them (the guy) had his entire left arm covered with purple lines, and the other (a girl) had green lines all over her body."

"That sounds like an...interesting fashion choice."

"I know, right? Anyway, Yusei challenges the guy to a duel and beats his ass real good. And, after the duel was over, Security comes to arrest the kid. Now, Jack and I try to calm Security down, but what do Yusei and Kiryu do?"

"Uh…"

"Kiryu starts spouting lightning and Yusei starts going stark-raving mad! Jack and I had to restrain them before they went crazy and…" Crow sighs as Shooti darts his eyes back and forth. "I shouldn't be scarring you with these details."

"No, I've seen plenty worse," Shooti mutters, trying to scrub the image of Kiryu and Yusei having sex out of his brain.

"After we finally got out of that kerfuffle, Jack and I spent an entire hour trying to figure out what happened to these two. Kiryu and Yusei give us some philosophical shit or the like in regards that they sensed 'fresh blood' then promised that they wouldn't do anything like that again. But still...all of this is sending signals that something isn't right."

" _But still"...those words make the boy feel uncomfortable. At this point, the boy can easily tell Crow that Kiryu and Yusei are slowly planning on how to kill the remaining living members of Team Satisfaction, giving Crow and Jack enough time to come with a plan…_

 _But he doesn't._

 _How can the boy say such a thing? There would be no way that Crow would believe this at all. And if Crow_ did _believe in it, both Kiryu and Yusei would either a) be in denial about it or b) start the killing either way. No matter what the boy does, it's going to end in a tragedy._

 _So, mistake number 14...the boy stays silent._

"And on top of that," Crow rambles on, oblivious to how quiet Shooti has become. "Yusei's been singing some creepy song about spiders for the past few days. Any reason why?"

"Um...no?" Shooti answers. "What...what type of song has he been singing?"

Crow just jerks his thumb at Yusei calmly wiping a wine glass with a clean cloth, humming to himself as he lifts the glass into the air.

" _When I went out this morning_

 _Spin, spider, spin_

 _Just as the day was dawning_

 _Spin, spider, spin_

" _I saw a tiny spider_

 _Its pretty web begin_

 _I saw him swing from a silver string_

 _Spin, spider, spin"_

"Um...maybe he heard it from some child?" says Shooti, ignoring Yusei's soft voice humming the second verse of that strange song, his blue eyes empty and unfocused as he continues his cleaning. Shooti then recalls something Bel said to him on their way to school three days ago.

" _Kamitsure-san sings plenty of songs to Molly at night. Molly wanted a song about a spider after the meeting was over, so Kamitsure sang that song to her. Now Molly can't stop singing it!"_

"Yusei has been taking care of re-opening Satisfaction Town these past few days," Crow elaborates. "There's no way he would've been hearing a child sing this sort of thing. Plus, there's also the matter of fact that Yusei hates spiders."

Shooti raises an eyebrow. "He's arachnophobic?"

"Yeah, yeah, that. But after rescuing Kiryu, I've seen him wearing some sort of choker with a spider on it. He gets pretty defensive if someone asks where he got it from."

"Maybe…" Shooti looks at Kiryu interviewing Haruka in regards to her victory. "Maybe Kiryu gave it to him?"

"I asked him that, but Kiryu said that wasn't the case. In fact, ever since that whole Magician's Four massacre, he hasn't been the same."

"Gee, I wonder why…"

Shooti glances at Yusei pouring up a drink, eyes concentrating on the flow of wine dripping onto the clean goblet.

" _He's not the kind that bites you_

 _Spin, spider, spin_

 _He's the kind that just delights you_

 _Spin, spider, spin_

" _He's a tiny harmless spider_

 _The kind that catches flies_

 _So let him on a silver string_

 _A pleasure to the eyes."_

At this, someone laughs.

Yusei, Crow and Shooti turn to see Kamitsure sitting on a stool, chin resting on her tented hands, elbows propped on the bar. Yusei blinks and stares at the newcomer as Shooti notices Kamitsure's neck. Her spider choker is no longer there.

"Hello, boys," she says. "Could I have a word with that _fantastic_ tenor over there and have a little something to drink? I'm feeling quite parched, you know?"

"Here," says Yusei, handing her the half-filled wine glass. His eyes are filled with such adoration for the woman. "Would you like anything else?"

Kamitsure takes the wine into her hands and smiles before swirling it round and round in its glass. Yusei just stares at the woman's movements, eyes never blinking as Kamitsure's smile grows wider and wider. Shooti wants to look away, but something is keeping him transfixed by that simple motion. He's aware that his breathing has slowed down, and through the corner of his eye he can see Crow also looking at that wine spinning round and round and round...

Everything is starting to dull. Shooti is aware of someone trying to speak to him, but he can barely register that voice. All he wants to do is see that swirl of wine go on forever and ever and ever and...

"Shooti, there you are!"

Shooti feels a hand gripping his arm, and he turns to find Bel standing behind him, green eyes looking on with concern. "Your mother's looking all over for you! What are you doing here?"

"I...I was…" Shooti turns to see Kamitsure taking a sip of the wine, Crow is now heading off to pick up an order, and Yusei is back to cleaning glasses. "What just happened?"

"Nothing important," says Kamitsure, tipping the glass to her lips. "I was just letting this wine breathe a little before taking a sip. Can't you smell it?"

As she sets the goblet down, Kamitsure leans close to Yusei. But just as Shooti is about to hear what she is about to say, Bel yanks him back to where his mother is waiting for him, along with their burgers and fries.

"Oh, Bel!" says Saya, seeing the blond haired girl seating her son down. "I didn't know you were here too!"

"Hello Saya-san!" Bel states sweetly. "My sisters and I are having a bite to eat before they go to work."

"Really now? What do your sisters do?"

"Kamitsure-san is a DJ at a bar and Korni is part of Security," Bel answers.

"Really?" asks Shooti. "That's not what she said when-"

Underneath the table, Bel squeezes onto Shooti's hand hard enough for it to break. Shooti winces as Bel shakes her head.

"Anyway," Bel continues. "It's so nice to be here after the news of what happened last Saturday!"

"I know, right?" says Saya, taking a French fry into her hand like it is a cigarette. "Although, that's been nothing compared to the…"

Bel goes silent. "Yeah, that. Have you found anything new in regards to the victims?"

"Investigations are going slowly, " Saya admits. "And while I'm not supposed to reveal the identities of the dead, we just learned that they all had something in common."

Bel blinks. "What's that?"

"The backs of their left wrists had the same strange design on them. Here, like this."

Saya pulls out a pen from her purse and draws the image on a napkin. After she is done, Shooti pauses. It is a circle with branch-like wings composed of two horizontal lines..

"This leads me to believe that all these students might have been dragged into some sort of cult," Saya states solemnly. "Bel, I just want you and your sisters to be careful. There's something out there...something that is going to turn Domino City upside down when we least expect it."

Bel leans forward and nods her head. "I'll keep that in mind, Saya-san."

"Oh, and one last thing. I didn't catch your last name when you came by Tuesday. What is it?"

"It's Amsel," Bel answers with a smile. "It's German for 'Blackbird'. Why do you ask?"

At this, Saya pauses as Bel stands up. Meanwhile, Shooti faintly hears Haruka challenging the next competitor in a duel, but he is too focused on his mother's reaction to Bel's question to see who it is that the Princess of Prophecy is dueling.

After three seconds of silence, Saya shakes her head. "Nothing. I was just curious."

"All right then," Bel leans close and hugs Shooti. "See you later!"

 _The boy quietly waves good-bye before he decides to have a bite of his black-colored burger. Meanwhile, he can't help but notice the way his mother is trying to distract herself by loudly proclaiming how delicious all of the food is. Which can only mean one of two things._

 _Either the boy's mother is nervous from going through twenty four corpses and is trying to shake her mind off of how she's seeing death everywhere._

 _Or…_

 _The boy isn't the_ only _one in the family who is keeping secrets._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _An hour later, mother and son drive back home. The boy is quiet once again, trying to make sense of everything that he's heard from Crow in regards to Yusei and Kiryu. On one hand, Crow is probably exaggerating some of the details of that night, but on the other hand, why would Crow just openly tell the boy about these things? After all, there's no way this boy could understand just what has happened to half of Team Satisfaction._

 _If only Crow "The Bullet" Hogan knew what he was getting into._

 _After the boy and his mother enter the apartment, the boy works on his homework in the kitchen while his mother makes a few phone calls. A part of the boy wishes that he had an Extendable Ear so he can eavesdrop on the conversation, but that is absolutely disrespectful._

 _And besides, why have an Extendable Ear when the boy has the guidance of a Guardian of Time who will answer all of the questions that is rattling in his brain?_

 _After spending two to three hours on his homework, the boy decides to go to bed. Ten minutes after he has brushed his teeth and is dressed in his pajamas and sent a text message to Bel, his mother knocks on the door._

"Can I come in?" Saya asks from the other side.

"Yeah, sure," Shooti answers, finishing his message to Bel before placing his cellphone on the bedside desk.

Saya opens the door and smiles when she sees the bedroom. There are various film posters decorating the wall, a Duel Disk hanging on a shelf alongside some of Shooti's favorite books, and in the bed is her son, whom she wishes that he never has to grow up.

"That was a lot of fun, don't you say?" she says. "We should do this more often, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Shooti answers. "Say, mom?"

"Yes, Shooti?"

Shooti sits up. "You're gonna think I sound crazy, but I had this strange vision of a woman dressed in black with a crow on her shoulder while walking home today. Would you know anything about it?"

Saya pauses, then she leans forward and places a kiss on her son's forehead.

"You're probably stressed out over what happened on Monday," she said. "Now, get to sleep, okay?"

"But mom…"

"Good night, Shooti."

 _And with that, the boy's mother leaves his bedroom, closing the door behind her. The boy waits a few seconds before he lies back on his bed and places two fingers over the gem above his left eye, resisting the urge to be angry at his own_ mother _hiding secrets from him._

"Primo," Shooti whispers.

 _ **Yes?**_ says Primo, standing by Shooti's closet. _**What do you need?**_

Shooti sits up and stares into the crimson eyes of this strange man. "I have some questions that need to be answered."


	8. The Garden of Forking Paths

_**As I lay here, amongst all these other bodies, all I can think about everything that I had seen, and everything that I wish to see…**_

 _ **All of these memories that were not mine, all of these paths that I have not walked upon, all of those choices that I could have made but never did...does that make me selfish that I wanted to know them all?**_

 _ **In such a short time, I was a witness to so many things, and there was so much I wanted know. As a person who loved movies and stories, there were so many**_ **ways** _**to tell them, but in the end, a person only lives one story...their own.**_

 _ **Was my story good? Beautiful? Pitiful? Filled with darkness? I can't tell for certain.**_

 _ **All I knew was that my story wasn't over...hopefully.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **5th Sign**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **The Garden of Forking Paths**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Primo stays still as Shooti looks through his phone, looking at the last conversation he had with Bel before his mother came to wish him goodnight. A few seconds of waiting is nothing to someone who looks through the timestream on a daily basis alongside his "brothers" for lack of a better term.

He has learned from experience to never get too attached to people, but Shooti...interests him.

Why would this green-haired boy pique his interest when countless humans dying over the years make it seem like it's just another Tuesday for him? Shooti's drive to know the truth isn't unlike detectives and lawyers over the years, his heartbreak over learning terrible news isn't unlike those who have lost their loved ones…

Perhaps...perhaps it isn't just about Shooti is showing on the surface. There must be something within him that is making Primo want to observe Shooti Hayami a bit longer.

Shooti is unaware of Primo's silent observations as he looks through his messages, smiling at Bel's words.

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ I had lots of fun tonight! I wish you didn't have to leave so early.

 _TripDeckard:_ Sorry about that, but you know that I'm not like one of the Lost Boys.

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ Too bad; I definitely can see you in adorable animal pajamas and fighting off Captain Hook! ;)

 _TripDeckard:_ The _other_ Lost Boys, Bel.

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ Ohhh….

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ Seriously, though. After Haruka tried to battle JACK ATLAS of all people, I decided to have some fun against a girl who used some strange Dark Beast-Warrior ladies with a Fusion Gimmick.

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ You should've seen the type of moves I played in front of everyone. The look in that girl's blue eyes was such a shock!

 _TripDeckard:_ Blue eyes…

 _TripDeckard:_ Um, Bel, did that girl also happen to have red hair in pigtails?

 _TripDeckard:_ And a black choker with a crescent moon on her neck?

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ Good eye! :)

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ I see you spotted one of our newest Acolytes. Her name is Rui, and I challenged her to see whether she's up to the task of….

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ ...

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ Sorry,

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ I shouldn't be explaining this on the phone.

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ If someone happened to read these messages…

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_...I gotta go. It was nice talking to you.

 _TripDeckard:_ Take care, Bel.

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ I will.

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ Oh and Shooti?

 _TripDeckard:_ Yeah?

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ Whether you finished it or not, please return my copy of _The Egypt Game_ on Monday, okay?

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ It's very important to me.

 _TripDeckard:_ I will. Good night.

 _BrilliantBlackbird:_ Same to you.

Shooti sets his phone down on his bedside desk before he turns his attention to Primo, the latter returning a copy of _The Invention of Hugo Cabret_ back on its proper spot on the bookshelf before he returns the gaze with his own.

 _ **So, boy.**_ Primo's cold robotic voice echoes in Shooti's mind. _**I take it that you want to see something in the past?**_

Shooti nods his head. "Do you have any limitations?"

 _ **My only limitation is that what you want to see**_ **has** _**to have happened, and if you can give me a date for it, it will make it easier.**_

"So I can't just ask you to show me why my mother looked suspicious of Bel then," Shooti murmurs.

 _ **Not unless you ask her yourself as to why she feels that way.**_

 _It is obvious at that point that the boy isn't going to get a clear answer from his mother right away, and it is too soon to tell just_ what _made his mom so jumpy except that it has to relate to blackbirds._

 _Sure, blackbirds like crows and ravens were associated with the dead and the Underworld, but it isn't like Bel is going to come to the boy's house with a kitchen knife in hand to stab him to death…_

 _...Right?_

Shooti sighs as he stares at the notebook on his bedside table, the one he used to rewrite all of his notes after Carly tore them apart. A part of him wants to go back in time to see what Carly has been doing in regards to the report of the "Suicide Club", but decides not to. It wouldn't be right to snoop around like that.

Well, not _yet_ at any rate.

 _ **So, little boy...**_ says Primo, tilting his head. _**Do you have a suggestion or are we here to have some pillow talk?**_

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Shooti mutters, closing his eyes. Seconds later, he opens them. "Oh, Crow mentioned that Kiryu and Yusei encountered two strange cloaked beings two nights ago. And Bel said that one of them was a new Dark Signer Acolyte so…"

Primo stares at Shooti for a moment, before a smile forms on his stoic face. _**That can easily be arranged. Now, hold still.**_

The strange android places his hand over the gem above Shooti's left eye. Then, Shooti feels everything become silent, his bedroom slowly replaced with an empty black void until all that remains is him and Primo floating in the abyss...

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

And seconds later, he finds himself not in the outskirts of Domino Below, but inside an apartment.

Shooti takes the time to look at his surroundings. It looks like a living room with white walls, a large grey divan, a long oak table topped with two mugs of coffee and a collection of video games, a large television at the corner with a PS4 connected…

And there is a loveseat with two people laying on it, covered by a large blanket.

Shooti takes a glance and blushes at what he sees. The two people are Kiryu and Yusei, lips pressed together as Kiryu has his hands gripping onto Yusei's shoulders while Yusei's hands go down past Kiryu's shoulder, to his chest, towards his waist…

 _ **Right, let me skip past this.**_ Primo mutters moving his pointer finger aside to some time later, when both Kiryu and Yusei are exhausted, eyes glazed over in lust as Kiryu runs a finger down the yellow line down Yusei's left eye.

"That...was so good…" Yusei shivers. "Will you always be 'feeding' like this?"

"Sometimes, but not all the time," Kiryu teases. "It's a shame that I have to feed on other people's desires; they'll never top what I feel from you."

Yusei sighs as he snuggles into Kiryu's chest. If he was alive, he'd smile at hearing Kiryu's heart beat. "Say, Kiryu."

"Yes, love?" asks Kiryu, fiddling with the spider choker adorning Yusei's neck.

Yusei opens his now black eyes. "I'd like to be serenaded," he whispers. "Think you can say something that will make me feel ready to have my first feeding?"

Kiryu tilts his head up towards the ceiling for a moment as Shinji turns to Primo with a glare.

"This isn't what I asked you!" he hisses, even though he isn't going to be heard at all. "I asked for when Yusei and Kiryu went off to fight!"

 _ **You'll get to it soon.**_ Primo stated, silently observing Yusei with the look of a cheetah stalking an antelope. _**What's the rush?**_

Just before Shooti can answer, Kiryu turns to Yusei and says, "I got just the thing for you, my shooting star.

" _Give me a thousand kisses, then a hundred._

 _Then, another thousand, and a second hundred._

 _Then, yet another thousand, and a hundred._

" _Then, when we have counted up many thousands,_

 _Let us shake the abacus,so that no one may know the number,_

 _And become jealous when they see_

 _How many kisses we have shared."_

Yusei coos in delight as Kiryu places a kiss on his forehead, the two nuzzling each other and gazing into each other's eyes as they lean in for another kiss.

"How long are you two gonna be doing that?"

Kiryu and Yusei turn to see both Crow Hogan and Jack Atlas seated across from them. Crow leans forward onto the table while Jack silently takes one of the coffee mugs on the table into his hands.

"You guys have been acting weird ever since you came back two nights ago," Crow notes. "Care to tell us why you like being so touchy-feely to each other lately?"

"If I tried explaining this to you, it would go over your pretty little head," Kiryu teases.

This hits Shooti in the gut; this is exactly why he couldn't just tell the truth about Kiryu and Yusei's new "purpose" to the real Crow.

Crow slams his hands on the table. "Ever since that thing with Magician's Four, you haven't been the same, Kiryu! You started babbling on and on about invisible reapers, got into a brawl with Kaibaman, and then you just _vanish_ to who knows where!

"And you, Yusei!" Crow turns his gaze to the black haired man. "You just go and disappear the night before and this morning, you act like...like…"

Yusei sits up, the blanket falling off his shoulders and into his lap. Shooti can only sigh in relief to find that Yusei is wearing a pair of black boxers. Yusei tilts his head like a curious dog to the right, his blue eyes resemble glass.

"Like what?" Yusei asks, his voice empty. Crow struggles to string a sentence together as Yusei adds, "Go on. Finish that sentence."

"Like that!" Jack exclaims, pointing at Yusei. "You're acting like some sort of...robot!"

Yusei blinks and places his right hand underneath his chin with the left hand underneath the elbow to support it.

"Is that so?" he asks. "Well then, if I were to be acting like you say I am…" Yusei leans close and smirks. "What are you two going to do about it?"

At this, Shooti feels like he can just take Primo's sword into his hand and cut the tension in the air into a million pieces. Jack's left eye twitches while Kiryu bursts out laughing, hiding his face with a hand as he nuzzles into Yusei's chest.

"Yeah, you two," Kiryu chuckles, baring his fangs. "What are you gonna do about it?"

This catches Crow and Jack off guard. Shooti just watches Kiryu stretch his arms and roll over, also relieved that Kiryu is wearing grey boxers (although he doesn't understand why there's a bulge pressing out until it hits him and he covers his eyes in disgust).

"I...I don't know, but you guys are acting…" Crow blinks. "Yusei...why is your neck glowing?"

Yusei looks down at the black choker snug around his neck like a noose. There, a light flickers in the abdomen of the spider pendant like a strobe light, flashing spots of red across the room.

"...It's time, huh?" Yusei murmurs, placing a hand over the spider.

"What's time?" asks Crow, noticing Yusei slowly stand up and approach the door. "Hey, Yusei! You just can't go out looking like that! Yusei, are you even listening to me?!"

"Have to...so hungry…" Yusei murmurs, scrambling for the door. "Must... _feed_...and soon…."

"Yusei, hey! Come back here!"

But the minute Yusei opens the door, everything stops as if someone has pressed "Pause" on a remote control. Shooti blinks before Primo smiles.

 _ **Let's get to the good part, shall we?**_

Primo lifts his hand to the side and flings it to the left. The apartment fades away until the two ghosts stand in the outskirts of Domino Below at night. There, they see Kiryu and Yusei - dressed in their Team Satisfaction outfits - standing amongst two people in blue military outfits and silver helmets. Yusei picks one up and grins.

"So hungry…" he hisses, eyes glowing black. "Get angry for me, little one...you'll make my meal even tastier!"

"S...screw you, you bastard!" Yusei's meal screams out, struggling to activate something on his Duel Disk.

Yusei tilts his head. "Nah, I already screw Kiryu enough. And he's already eaten."

Kiryu howls in laughter as he watches Yusei press his lips on the mouth of his meal. The prey can only scream in terror as Yusei holds the kiss for three seconds before pulling his head back. Strands of red silk thread connect their mouths together before Yusei tugs at them and swallows them whole.

" _Oishii…_ " he murmurs, dropping his meal to the ground. "Now, what else is there to eat?"

"You!"

Yusei tilts his head as he sees Crow and Jack approach them, looking somewhat bored. Crow pants for breath as he asks, "What's going on here?"

"These two," says Kiryu, pressing a boot onto the back of an unconscious soldier. "Were causing trouble here. We gave them a bit of a warning."

"Warning?" asks Jack. "It looks like you murdered them!"

"They deserved it," Kiryu hisses while narrowing his eyes. "They were gonna…" He pauses. "Yusei...do you feel it?"

"Feel what?" asks Crow, looking around. "What's going...hey, get back here you two! We aren't finished yet!"

Just as Crow is about to chase after Kiryu and Yusei, Primo waves his hand again, transporting him and Shooti to the remains of an abandoned house littered with trash. Standing in what would have been the living room of the abode are two familiar figures: a teenage boy with grey hair and a blue longcoat, and a teenage girl with her hair in two short pigtails, a long blue jacket with pink lining and a black choker with a yellow crescent moon pendant.

"Rui," Shooti whispers, pointing at the girl. "And...who's the boy?"

 _ **Wes.**_ Primo answers. _**The best member of Team Snagem before he defected. The two are currently cleaning Domino Below for...**_ He pauses and chuckles. _**No, you'll learn that**_ **much** _ **later. For now, let's watch.**_

"Wes," Rui whispers, looking around. "Why are we here?"

"Can't you sense it?" Wes answers, his blue cloak darkening to the color of shadows. The red trim on the sleeve of his coat glow violet. "So much sin is about to come and we can feast."

"Feast?" Rui gulps, her clothes also turning black and the image of green lizard appearing on her skirt. "I...I don't like the sound of that."

"I don't either," Wes whispers. "But at least...wait, they're here."

He turns around as he hears someone approach them. Wes narrows his eyes, the white stripe across his nose turning red as he watches two people enter the building.

"It couldn't be…" he gasps. "Is that…"

But it is. Wes watches in fear as he sees two figures approach them, both of them wearing cloaks trimmed in blue and red, respectively. The one with the blue colored cloak approaches him, the moonlight from the unfinished roof revealing the last person Wes wants to see.

"Kiryu Kyosuke," Wes whispers. "But that means…."

"The other one is Yusei Fudo!" Rui finishes, her eyes widening in fear. "Wes, their auras...they're filled with anger and lust…"

"How…" Wes looks at Yusei approaching him. "How did you die? _Why_ did you just toss your life for those arrogant bastards?"

Yusei smirks, his eyes resembling clear glass as his free hand glows. Then, four-inch razor blades emerge from underneath his fingernails as he raises a blade to his throat.

"I chose this," he answers. "My father gave up his life so that the Gates of Hamunaptra will open some day. And I and the rest of Team Satisfaction intend on following in his footsteps."

Kiryu approaches Wes and stretches an arm out to him. "You search for food too, correct? Tell me, little boy...why don't you join us on tonight's hunt?"

"J...join you?!" Wes exclaims, sounding like a kid meeting his idol. Then, he slaps himself across the face. "I mean...I would be honored to do such a thing...but no." He shakes his head and frowns. "Rui and I are like this only to get revenge on the assholes who killed us. And we already dragged more people into this mess."

"Where are the other members of Team Satisfaction?" asks Rui. "Are they also…"

"Not yet," Yusei whispers, his voice so swift that it quickly quiets out Rui's voice. The stoic look on his face turns to one of maniacal glee. "But soon, soon our brothers will join us in unleashing pure satisfaction upon this land. The Gates of Hamunaptra will open and all of the lost souls shall _flourish_! The Dark King demands it and we. will. comply!"

He lifts his head into the air and laughs as Wes, Rui and even Kiryu look slightly uncomfortable. Then, Yusei activates the Duel Disk on his arm.

"Oh young acolytes," he says. "I wish to see how you shall prepare yourself for the upcoming task at hand. Do you have what it takes to cleanse Domino Below of its sins?"

"I have enough common sense to know that you are absolutely off your rocker!" Wes snaps, activating his Duel Disk. "Come on; it's always been a dream of mine to eventually go toe-to-toe with a member of Team Satisfaction.

"Fight me, Yusei! Let's go for a ride!"

"Let's rev it up!" Yusei exclaims. "Duel!"

"Stop it there," Shooti announces, watching as everything freezes at the point when Yusei is about to draw cards from his deck. "I know how this is gonna end."

 _ **Do you now?**_ Primo chuckles.

Shooti nods his head. "Yusei wins, Security tries to arrest Wes, Yusei and Kiryu get into another fight and then Crow and Jack drag Yusei and Kiryu the hell outta Dodge. The End."

" _ **The End" indeed…**_ Primo whispers, taking a red eyed glance at the younger boy. _**You sure about your decision?**_

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Primo chuckles. _**Very well. I think it's time to move on to greener pastures as they say.**_

 _As the scenery begins to fade away, the boy does not realize that he is making mistake number 15. To him, he has just seen all that he needs to see of that particular scene._

 _If only his future self could have appeared right now to slap the boy across the face and tell him to continue it until the end. If he did, then he would've noticed a clue that could've prevented the deaths of Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan_

 _But it's too late to take that back now; that and every other mistake the boy has made and shall continue to make until the very end._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Shooti blinks and soon finds himself sitting at the edge of his bed. He picks up his cellphone and takes a look at the time. Half an hour has passed.

"That seemed a lot longer," Shooti mutters, setting his phone down.

 _ **Time always seems longer when you're just observing people doing their own routines.**_ Primo notes. _**When you actually are living life, it tends to go by much quicker.**_

"Ah."

Shooti then goes to online and types something onto his phone. A familiar headline pops up, causing him to wince. The headline that caused his entire world to change for the worse.

But what hurts him even more is that he was oblivious to what his friend was going through. Those last few months together at school, talking about what their summer vacations were like, studying, watching any and all episodes of whatever _Kamen Rider_ series that was on their minds, having dinner together...all of this time, Shooti had no idea that Jun was faking it.

Taking a slow breath, Shooti looks at Primo all while trying not to show that he is crying on the inside.

"Primo," he says, showing the news article to the android. "Take me to the time of the suicide on Monday night."

Primo blinks; surely the boy cannot be this serious.

 _ **You know how this all plays out, though.**_ Primo points out. _**Twenty five children die, with one of them being your best friend. Chaos ensues, people scream to the heavens, your mother has to tend to two dozen corpses and a boy who is more dead than he is alive, and your babysitter has to interview everyone in regards to what they have seen all while praying that you haven't join this Suicide Club...yet.**_

Shooti nods his head. "But I want to see it...I want to see Jun. He...he was trying to warn me Monday afternoon, but I ignored his warning, like usual."

 _ **It probably was better this way. Did you**_ **truly** _**want to be there when he jumped to his death?**_

Shooti shakes his head as he grips onto his phone to the point that it could crack. "No...but I...I at least want to know what it was like to _be_ there. What his last 'moments' were like...please Primo."

 _ **Fine, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you for this little field trip.**_

Primo places a finger onto the gem on Shooti's forehead once more. Shooti can feel a cool wind and the sound of a train whistle off into the distance...

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

And one second later, Shooti sits on a bench, waiting for a train to arrive.

He looks all around him. People are on their cellphones, or pacing around, or talking to other people. Children hold onto the hands of their parent's, eagerly awaiting to go to their next destination. This type of scene happens every single day, and it seems like nothing could ever change it.

Of course, Shooti knows that it would very, very soon.

"When are they coming?" he whispers, feeling the tension in the air. He shivers, even though he can't feel the blast of cool wind that blows through the train station, and wraps his arms around himself in a futile attempt to stay warm.

 _ **Right about...now.**_ Primo answers, pointing toward the stairs.

Shooti turns and watches numerous students all dressed the same - white shirt and black skirt for girls, white shirt, black tie and black pants for boys - go down the stairs, talking, laughing and otherwise acting normal. He counts them in his head and only finds twenty-four going down the stairs.

Until he spots Jun, number 25.

Jun looks out of place amongst these suicide club members in the white shirt, black tie and black pants combo; he moves his head around like a swivel chair but doesn't really pay attention to his surroundings. He runs a hand over his arm as if covering a rash. Jun gulps as a girl beckons him to come hold hands with the others at the platform. And Shooti can only watch as Jun smiles and races towards them, taking his place as they hear the train approach the station.

If this happened in real life, Shooti would be shouting Jun's name. And Jun...he would pretend to ignore it.

But if the Shooti in the past didn't know about his friend's reason for being there, he would have felt like Jun stabbed him in the back to hang out with his "new" friends. The fact that the real Shooti knows just _what_ is about to ensue only makes it worse.

All twenty five students approach the railways. Twenty-five mouths turn into happy smiles and more than forty arms swing arms back and forth as everyone around them wonders just what they're about to do.

The twenty five students, oblivious to their confused and puzzled audience count out loud.

"1, 2, 3! 1, 2, 3! 1...2...3!"

 _And then, the boy and Primo watch all twenty five students jump in front of the train._

 _Not even three seconds later, blood starts spraying everywhere. On the windows of the train, on the innocent bystanders who begin screaming in agony, on the walls. A spray of red briefly passes through the boy's pellucid body._

 _The scene is like a colossal car crash - horrifying yet one cannot help but watch at the madness and destruction that blooms from such mayhem. Everything is a bloody shade of red as the only thing that can be heard over the train coming to a stop is a cacophony of screams._

 _The boy watches in horror as everyone else tries to make sense of it all..._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _And all too quickly, the bloody train station fades away to the bedroom once more._

 _The boy places a hand to his mouth, willing himself not to puke at the sight of all of that blood and dismembered bodies around the train track. How...how could Jun willingly accept a command to do something like that?_

 _Better yet, who would let innocent people cheerfully jump to their deaths? And for what?_

Bile rises in his throat, but with a few deep breaths, Shooti manages to stop himself from waking his mother up. He tucks his knees to his chest and tugs at the strands of his hair, trying to make sense of it all. But no matter how he tries, he will never be able to.

 _ **Boy.**_ Primo states with some underlying concern. _**I believe that we should end your leaps through time with this.**_

"No…" Shooti whispers, lowering his hands so they rest on top of his bed. "I want to see one more...just one more."

 _ **You have already seen too much.**_

Shooti grips onto the bed sheets. "I haven't seen _enough_." He turns to Primo. "Take me to when Kiryu became inducted into the Dark Signers. After all, I already saw how Yusei decided to die for this cause; I highly doubt Kiryu gave in that easily."

Seeing the look in the boy's eyes, Primo submits.

 _ **Very well. But after this, you are to go to bed. Just because I am contracted to you so you can do your little 'investigations' does not necessarily mean I will let you push yourself to an extent that you render yourself catatonic.**_

For the third time this evening, Primo places his fingers on Shooti's forehead. Shooti watches the familiar scene of his bedroom disappear...

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

And this time, Shooti lands on both feet.

He looks around, finding himself in the Ritual Room once more. taking good note of the ceiling up above him, depicting a mural of a magnificent city rising out of the desert. He squints a bit, and he can see that the mural is moving all on its own. There, he can depict four figures that eerily resemble Team Satisfaction, albeit they all wear white linen skirts and golden collars around their necks as if they are personal slaves (which isn't that far from the truth).

"Are those…" Shooti whispers, pointing to the ceiling. Primo nods his head. "Then how did they…"

Shooti's observations are interrupted by the massive doors opening. He turns to see a parade of five cloaked witches dragging a haggard Kiryu Kyosuke towards the large bust of the Dark King, the proud leader of Team Satisfaction silent as the procession ends at the obsidian visage of the Dark King of the Afterlife.. Kiryu is shoved onto the floor as the Dark Signers remove their hoods, ten black eyes waiting for their master to speak.

"He is here," says Kamitsure, bowing toward their lord. "Just as you wished."

Then, the eyes of the bust light up as if someone pulled a pair of curtains up in the morning. _Excellent work._

Kiryu looks up and gasps at the ominous statue of the Dark King gazing down upon him. The eyes of the hoary ruler stare deep into Kiryu Kyosuke's soul, as if judging the Team Satisfaction leader for everything he has done in his short life.

"Pay your respects to the Dark King!" Kamitsure barks, pressing her heel onto Kiryu's head, causing Shooti to wince. He wonders if Molly knows about this side of the DJ, or if the girl will ever grow up to become just like Kamitsure.

 _Don't be so rough with Aharon, Kamitsure of the Spider._ The Dark King's voice rumbles. _We have_ plenty _of time to get acquainted with one another._

Kamitsure nods her head as Korni places a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. Nagi then speaks up.

"What do we do with the rest of Team Satisfaction?" she inquires. "They are sure to notice his disappearance and will try to find answers."

 _Leave them be for the time being._ The Dark King answers. _I am proud for the way you handled Magician's Four back there, and how you managed to get Aharon back in one piece. You all have all earned a well-deserved rest._

"You are too kind, our lord," says Korni, looking more solemn than her normally perky self that Shooti encountered when they first met..

As the five women walk back to the door, Kiryu tries to follow them, but Kamitsure stomps a stiletto on his head once more to knock him out cold. The only sounds in the room are Kamitsure's heels going _click clack click clack_ on the marble floor and the silent swish of the cloaks as the Dark Signers approach the doors.

Just as Bel is about to leave, the Dark King's eyes glow. _One more thing, Bel of the Hummingbird._

Bel stops and turns around, green eyes staring back at the bust of the Dark King. Instead of the quiet image that Shooti saw back at Satisfaction Town when they first met, her posture shows a confident lady who would make the earth shake with a stomp of her foot.

"Yes, my King?" she asks.

 _I do hope you took notice of that boy back there._ The Dark King smiles, or at least it _looks_ like there is a smile on the statue's face. _He seems to have taken a fancy to you._

If Bel could blush, her cheeks would've been red from the compliment. "R...really?"

 _Yes. Perhaps it would be a good idea to know him better. He could be_ very _useful to the cause._

Bel bobs her head and smiles. "I'll ask Jun about it then. Tell me, what is this boy's name?"

 _He is known as Shooti Hayami._

"Shooti Haya…" Bel pauses. "You mean he's related to -"

 _Yes, but do not dwell on it now. After all, you have to get ready for your first day at school._

"Yes, my King," says Bel, her smile practically lighting up the Ritual Room. "Thank you."

And thus she rushes off to follow her sisters out of the room, oblivious to a transparent Shooti watching her race off like she is chasing after the White Rabbit into Wonderland. When she vanishes, the silence returns.

 _ **Nothing ever passes the Dark King's eyes.**_ Primo chuckles. _**Even**_ **he** _ **can tell how much you two belong together.**_

Shooti doesn't know whether that is supposed to be a compliment or not. Instead, he focuses on Kiryu standing up, looking around and trying to figure out the quickest way out of here.

 _You aren't going anywhere, Aharon._ Says the Dark King, the large doors closing with a loud SLAM! that echoes across the empty chamber. _Not when we have_ so _much to talk about._

"Who the hell is this Ahara person you're talking about?" Kiryu snarls. "And who the fuck are you?"

At this, the torches in the room flare, casting an ominous glow on the Dark King's stone face.

 _I am the Dark King of the Afterlife, Ruler of Hamunaptra, Weaver of Souls, Guardian to the Realm of Reveries and Revelry!_ Is the answer. _And you, Aharon, have been brought to me so that you can help me unleash the Gates of Hamunaptra onto this world once more._

"Like hell I am!" Kiryu spits out. "It's already bad enough that I learned that I'm dead, but there is no way that I'm gonna be taking orders from a giant hunk of stone."

 _...It seems as if we are to do this the hard way._ The Dark King murmurs and for a moment, Shooti can almost see the statue _smile_ once more. _Hmm…perhaps this 'giant hunk of stone' is not the correct form to convince you. How about...this?_

Kiryu watches as a plume of dark smoke forms in front of him, coalescing into a figure in a dark cloak and piercing cobalt eyes. Kiryu's eyes widen as the figure raises his arms into the air to disperse the smoke, revealing the last person he wants to see in this place.

"Y...Yusei…" Kiryu whispers.

But it is not the Yusei of Team Satisfaction that stands in front of Kiryu. The Yusei duplicate dresses in the robes of that of a Dark Signer, aurified in gold hieroglyphics. And their eyes...they are nothing but black holes that suck in the light.

 _Not yet..._ The Dark King answers, through Not-Yusei, their lips mouthing the words that echo across the room. The Dark King chuckles as Not-Yusei tilts his head. _What's wrong, Kiryu? I thought that if I took the form of a familiar face, it'd make this all the more easier._

"You prick…" Kiryu snarls, slowly standing up. "Why...why are you doing this? What the fuck gives you the right to mess with my mind?!"

Not-Yusei frowns, causing Kiryu to feel slightly guilty until he remembers that this is not the Yusei he knows. _You need to remember your past, Aharon._

"Goddammit, my name is Kiryu!"

Not-Yusei shakes his head, a look of pity in his eyes. _This situation usually happens when it comes to reincarnation. But do not worry...after I have my way with you, you will remember what I_ want you _to remember…_

"W...what do you mean by…" Kiryu takes a step back. "No...you...you're not gonna rape me, you bastard!"

From Not-Yusei, the Dark King laughs before he leans forwards and licks his lips. Into Kiryu's ear, he whispers, _Not_ _ **yet**_ _._

In the time it takes Kiryu to open his mouth, Not-Yusei has leaned towards him, pressing his mouth onto Kiryu's own. Kiryu struggles to escape, trying to push the stranger who has the face of Yusei Fudo away from him, but he is unable to stop the shadows from wrapping around his arms and legs like vines, trapping him in the Dark King's grasp. Kiryu's cries of resistance quickly dissolve into moans of delight, much to Shooti's embarrassment.

 _You see, Aharon?_ The Dark King coos while Not-Yusei runs his hands over Kiryu's torso. _I find it easier for things to get done once one has "eaten". You haven't had a proper meal in such a long time and I have prepared such a delicious banquet for you…_

As he says this, the dark vines sink deep into Kiryu's skin, pulsing with a strange blue light. Kiryu pushes Not-Yusei away as he looks at the vines pump their energy into him like a heart pumps blood across the body.

"W...what is this?" he asks, struggling to escape the vines. But their grip is like steel and the energy that they keep feeding him makes him drop to his knees. "What are you doing to me?!"

 _A meal, my dear Aharon._ The Dark King answers. _You are not ready to go out and feed on other people's sin yet, so I am "spoon-feeding" you for the time being._

"What, you think like I'm sort of baby?" Kiryu spits out before groaning as more energy seeps deep into his veins. "This...this, oh god...what type of shit is this?!"

 _That...is the sin that you feed on. The sin of desire, the sin that lies in every person's soul when they find the type of prey that they want to fuck with._

 _This, Aharon, is the sin of Lust.._

"So...you're pumping some weird-ass aphrodisiac into me or something?" Kiryu asks, taking a good look at Not-Yusei and desperately praying that this isn't going where he thinks this is going.

 _If you want to put it that way..._ The Dark King chuckles as Not-Yusei places a hand over Kiryu's face _. After this is over, I'll be able to get you to understand my vision._

"Wait, what are you-GAHH!"

Kiryu's scream echoes throughout the room as he feels something penetrating deep into his skull all while the vines pump that dreaded sin deep into his veins. Not-Yusei keeps grinning as Shooti looks in horror, knowing that this scene is going to go into a place that he doesn't want to see.

 _ **Right.**_ Primo muses, noticing how the vines are tearing Kiryu's clothes apart. _**Let me speed this along…**_

He raises a hand and the scene pauses, with Shooti taking in the agony on Kiryu's face and the look of utter delight on Not-Yusei's own. Then, Primo waves his hand to the right and the scene shifts into one where Kiryu is on the floor, panting for breath, his clothes torn apart but his body embraced by those dark vines that wrap around him to form a shroud.

Instead of the shock and pain that was on his face before, Kiryu looks absolutely relieved with a wide grin on his face. Not-Yusei - who is still clothed - lays down next to Kiryu, legs entangled around Kiryu's own while a hand strokes Kiryu's right cheek. Not-Yusei has a small smile on his face, making the scene resemble the real Kiryu and Yusei at night, away from all of the chaos of the Dark Signers and their Egyptian King of the Underworld.

 _Do you understand now?_ The Dark King's voice says through the Yusei lookalike as he places a kiss on Kiryu's lips. _How does it feel, Aharon?_

Kiryu groans as he feels the vines softly caressing his arms and legs. When he opens his eyes, Shooti notices that they have darkened. Not to the extent as to the ones that Kiryu will eventually have, but they appear dilated, out of focus…

As if Kiryu has been brainwashed.

"It feel... _wonderful_ , my king," Kiryu whispers in adoration. Not-Yusei smiles in return.

 _It does, doesn't it? But that's not the only way to obtain such a fine meal. Sometimes, I encourage my children to indulge in their sins if they cannot find a nearby food source._

This causes Shooti to turn red as he recalls seeing Kiryu and Yusei in bed all while Primo laughs. Kiryu just purrs as he feels a vine massage his tense shoulders.

Then, someone enters the room through a wall, their robes lined with blue. Not-Yusei turns his gaze to the newcomer.

 _Ah, Natsume of the Giant._ The Dark King purrs, seeing the navy blue haired Psychic approach Kiryu. _What brings you here this fine afternoon?_

"I came to check an eye on my Umbral Soul, my lord," Natsume answers. "I would've come sooner, but I was busy with an important call from Domino Below" She then turns to Kiryu, watching the leader of Team Satisfaction look so different than the proud warrior almost a week ago. He looks so docile now. "Oh dear, I think you worked him too hard, my King."

 _Sometimes it is the only way to get things done._ The Dark King laughs through Not-Yusei. _And_ I _think he is ready to bring in the rest of my Enforcers._

"Almost," Natsume corrects. "I need to imprint him first, if you would allow me."

 _Of course. Be my guest, Natsume of the Giant._

Not-Yusei moves to the side so Natsume can sit down, crimson eyes lovingly staring at Kiryu as if the man is her child. Then, Natsume helps Kiryu sit up, pressing her body against his back and running her hands down his arms all while Kiryu looks like he is close to passing out.

"Shh," Natsume whispers, hands glowing with a soft blue light. "Having your first meal can be exhausting, but you have a mission to complete."

"A...mission?" Kiryu asks dumbly, his mind foggy from the waves of Lust that has been injected into his body combined with the memories he has just experienced.

"Yes," Natsume purrs, her lips curling into a cat-like smile. "A mission to bring your friends to us. To prepare Domino Below so that the Gates of Hamunaptra can open." Natsume closes her eyes as the vines begin to encase Kiryu's body, crawling up to his neck and covering his head as if she is mummifying him. "But in order to do that, Yusei, Jack and Crow...must die."

At this, Kiryu's eyes snap out of the haze of lust just as the shadows consume his body. Just as quick as they consume him, the vines disperse. Kiryu is now adorned in the outfit he wore back at Satisfaction Town, his arms decorated with blue helix tattoos that flicker like a candle flame, his eyes black as night and the criminal mark that goes down his right eye is now red.

"No…" Kiryu whispers. "I...I can't...not them…"

 _This must be done!_ The Dark King roars, the eyes of Not-Yusei glowing blue. _The Gates of Hamunaptra will open and you_ will _bring the Enforcers to me one way or another._

"I can't…" Kiryu says, looking at his hands, torn between the memories of Team Satisfaction and the ones of his ancient past along with the feelings of lust stirring in his blood. "They...they don't deserve this."

You _didn't deserve to die at the hand of Magician's Four, did you? Perhaps I should take back my gift of resurrection and let your body be buried amongst the hundreds of others who have also given up and then watch as your precious Yusei hang himself so he can be with you again. Do you want that? To see the boy you love so much lose all hope in this world?_

"NO!" Kiryu shouts. "No, please don't…" He bows his head towards the colossal bust of the Dark King, hands on the floor, and his forehead placed on his hands. "I'll...I'll do as you say. I promise."

Not-Yusei smirks as he places a hand on Kiryu's head. _That's the answer I wanted to hear. Now go, Aharon. Return to Domino Below and, at the very least, bring_ one _of your precious Enforcers here. Understand?_

Kiryu sits up and bows his head, his voice low as he whispers, "I understand, my King."

 _Very good. And I hope you do not disappoint me._

At this, Kiryu's eyes return to their normal golden color. His criminal mark becomes a pale yellow. He nods his head.. "I won't."

Slowly, Kiryu stands up as Natsume summons a portal near the wall. Kiryu takes a glance at Not-Yusei, then at the bust of the Dark King, before he rushes into the portal, oblivious to Shooti and Primo watching him.

When the portal vanishes, Natsume turns to Not-Yusei and chuckles, eyeing the clone from head to toe with a smirk on her face.

"My King, you need to tell me how you able to make constructs like that so easily," she says. "I take it that you used that 'body' to good use, correct?"

 _...Perhaps._ The Dark King answers as Not-Yusei fades away into a cloud of smoke. _And_ you _should get ready._

Natsume tilts her head. "For what?"

Not-Yusei grins. _For the chaos that is about to be unleashed._

As he says this, all of the candles are snuffed out, blanketing the entire chamber with darkness…

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

And Shooti finds himself in his bedroom once again, lying in his bed in horror at what he has seen. The sight of Kiryu Kyosuke giving into the Dark King's will so easily makes him question whether or not it was a good idea to keep silent back at Satisfaction Town.

Primo places a hand on the boy's forehead before tracing a finger towards the gem like it is a massive scab he wants to scrape off. Shooti just turns his head towards Primo, struggling to find the right words to say but only manages to say, "Why?"

Primo blinks. _**Why what?**_

"Why does this have to happen?" he whispers. "Why does Team Satisfaction have to die for this?"

Primo frowns. _**They were going to die sooner or later; you mortals do in the end.**_

"But Kiryu and Yusei could have had a happy life together," Shooti continues. "I mean, they could've had a family. they could've lived peacefully without having to…" he can hardly get the words out. "...It's not fair."

 _ **Who said life was fair to begin with?**_ Primo hums. When Shooti doesn't answer, the android continues. _**All dreams are built through sacrifice; you know that very well, boy. But when Hamunaptra returns, things will be much better than it is now. Everything that was offered up for the Dark King's return will be**_ **worth it.**

 _The boy stays silent as he gets out of bed, picks up his cellphone and approaches the door. He can feel Primo's crimson gaze on him, but the boy ignores it as he opens the door and steps out. It is quiet here, in the darkness. Here, the boy feels as if some elderly being is awakening, hungry for fresh blood, craving for an innocent soul to devour and keep in their enormous a thousand years._

 _The boy ignores the feeling of butterflies in his stomach as he takes three steps towards his brother's room. It feels like the boy is about to enter a world too confusing or grown-up for him to understand, even if he knows that Shuta Hayami's room has been empty for months. Still, there is something comforting about this emptiness, as if by entering this void, the boy feels like he is making the emptiness less...empty._

 _The boy opens the door, only to be met with a familiar sight: A cabinet with a door open and five wire hangers with a red sweater and a pair of boots at the corner. Walls covered with pictures of Shuta and his family, and a photo of Shuta with Carly back when the two were dating. The curtains are closed shut. On a desk are numerous books of photography and a stack of CDs, all of them movie soundtracks. And in front of the boy is the same bed he has laid in to look at the ceiling whenever he wants to be alone._

 _Feeling as if he has pricked his finger on the spinning wheel, the boy collapses into his brother's bed. He looks at his phone and goes through his playlist of music, wincing at the blue light of the screen hitting his eyes before he finds the song he's looking for: "I Need Some Sleep"._

 _...How fitting._

Shooti presses "Play" on his phone and quietly listens to the first verse, then drags the blankets over his tired body as the chorus plays.

" _Everyone says, I'm getting down to low_

 _Everyone says, You just gotta let it go_

 _You just gotta let it go_

 _You just gotta let it go..."_

Shooti lays his head on the pillow as Primo watches him with the eyes of someone watching a tapir bask in the sun. As the second line plays, Shooti looks up.

"Say...Primo?" he whispers.

 _ **Yes?**_ Primo asks, concern for the poor boy briefly showing on his face. After everything he has witnessed, Shooti wants to see _another_ horrifying event?

"As I go to sleep...I wanna see...one last memory," Shooti murmurs, nodding off.

 _ **...And which one would that be?**_

"The one...about Bel dueling at Satisfaction Town," Shooti says, picturing Bel commanding her Fortune Ladies to attack. "I'm sad that I didn't...get to...see it…"

With this, Shooti closes his eyes and falls into slumber as the last line of the song plays out. Primo waits for a few minutes, until the only sound in the room is Shooti's quiet breathing, before he smiles and places his fingers on the gem one last time.

 _ **Sweet dreams, dear boy.**_ He whispers. _**Because this will be one of the last ones you'll ever have here in the waking world.**_

A soft glow blankets the young boy who looks at peace for the first time in months. Primo then takes his cue to leave by swiping his sword into the air as a silver portal emerges from the slash. As he enters, he takes one final glance at Shooti before he departs for the evening.

And in the world of dreams, Shooti smiles as he observes Bel in Satisfaction Town shouting, "Your fate is mine to decide! Let's Duel!" to her opponent in front of a crowd that would cheer her on and make her feel special for just one night.


End file.
